Obituary Record

Alfred Joseph Beckman
Died on 8/6/2015
Buried in Holy Cross (Catholic Church) Cemetery

Posted on line: Monday, August 10, 2015; Published in The Pilot Tribune, August 11, 2015

(Photo) (Veteran)

Alfred Joseph Beckman, 89

Alfred Joseph Beckman, age 89 of Blair, died August 6, 2015, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday August 10 at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair at 10:00 AM. Graveside services will be in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Blair at 1:00 PM. Visitation will be held Sunday August 9 at Campbell Aman Funeral Home beginning at 4:00 PM with family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and a rosary at 7:00 PM.

Alfred Joseph Beckman was born on January 13, 1926, on a farm southeast of Elgin, NE, to Henry and Mary Beckman. He attended St. John Berchman school in Raeville, Nebraska through the 8th grade. He helped at home until June of 1944 when he was inducted into the Army for WWII. He served in the infantry and was sent to fight in France and Germany until the war was over and he was discharged in April 1946. While in the service he earned the bronze star, combat infantry badge and 2 battle stars for Rhineland and Central Europe, he also received the good conduct ribbon and victory ribbon.

Alfred returned home and farmed for 2 years. In 1948 and 49 he farmed in Fulda, Minnesota, while living with his sister Dorothy and family. In 1950 he moved to Omaha and worked as an auto mechanic at Safety Service. On June 28, 1952 he married Mary Lou Eckrich at St. Patrick Church in Neola, Iowa. They lived in Omaha until March of 1961 when the family moved to a farm west of Herman. From 1961 until 1973 he worked at Christopher Body Shop doing front end alignments, farmed and raised hogs. In 1973, he built and operated his own mechanic shop, Al’s Alignment Service. He retired from the shop in 1990. In 1983 Al and Mary Lou moved to an acreage southeast of Blair, and in 2014 moved to a condo in Blair.

He enjoyed fishing, especially, also deer hunting and woodworking, making toys for kids over a number of years. He was a regular volunteer at Washington County Recycling for over 25 years. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Al is survived by his wife Mary Lou Beckman; daughters Mary (Bruce) Perry of San Diego, CA, and Joanne Beckman of Blair; sons Jerry (Kathy) Beckman of Overland Park, Kansas, and John (Jean) Beckman of Blair; 6 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; sisters: Martha Zadina of Omaha, Sister Bernardine Beckman OSB of Norfolk, Nebraska, Delores Olson of Kearney, Nebraska, Mildred Fritz of O’Neill, Nebraska, Alice Powell of Omaha, Nebraska; brothers, Clarence Beckman of Littleton, Colorado, and Melvin (Mary Ann) Beckman of Omaha; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by son Bob; parents Henry and Mary Beckman; brothers Walter and Edward Beckman, both of Elgin; sisters Dorothy Reith of Fulda, Minnesota and Rose Reicks of Spalding, Nebraska.

He was a member of St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair since 1961, and a member of the Knights of Columbus at the church and a 50 year member of the Herman American Legion.

Memorials may be directed to the Special Olympics or the American Cancer Society.

Omaha World Herald 9 Aug 2015

Beckman, Alfred Joseph Age 89 Blair, NE. Survived by his wife Mary Lou Beckman; daughters, Mary (Bruce) Perry, and Joanne Beckman; and sons, Jerry (Kathy) Beckman of Overland Park, KS, and John (Jean) Beckman of Blair. Memorials may be directed to the Special Olympics or the American Cancer Society. MASS Monday at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, Blair at 10am. GRAVESIDE SERVICES at Holy Cross Cemetery, Blair at 1pm. VISITATION Sunday at Campbell Aman Funeral Home begins at 4pm, with family receiving friends 6-8pm, and Rosary at 7pm. CAMPBELL-AMAN FUNERAL HOME 444 S. 17th Blair, NE 402-426-2191 www.campbellaman.com

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Printed in the Washington County Pilot-Tribune on 8/11/2015


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