Arthur Henry Beeck, 1932 - 2023
BEECK, HUDSON, JEPSEN
Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 3/11/2024 at 14:19:10
The Mapleton Press
28 December 2023Arthur Henry Beeck, age 91, of Mapleton, Iowa, (formerly Charter Oak, Iowa) passed away on Friday, December 22, 2023, at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital of Sioux City, Iowa.
A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at the St. John’s Lutheran Church of Charter Oak, Iowa. Rev. Richard Merrill will officiate. Committal services will follow in the St. Paul Cemetery of Charter Oak, Iowa.
A Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at the St. John’s Lutheran Church of Charter Oak, Iowa.
The Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Home of Mapleton, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Arthur Henry Beeck was born on December 11, 1932, in Schleswig, Iowa, to Lillian Hudson. Art’s father Arthur (his namesake) tragically passed away due to a farming accident prior to his birth.
At the age of four years old, Art’s mother Lillian married Mr. Fred Beeck, who welcomed Art as his son through adoption. He received his education in country school through the 8th grade and graduated from Schleswig High School with the class of 1951.
Art met love of his life Lorraine Meseck after she rode her bike to Ricketts and met him at a baseball game. He noticed her and was instantly smitten. He then sent her a Christmas card to ask her out on a date. The couple dated for five years while Art attended college at Elmerst College in Chicago. He wanted to further his music education and relocated to attend Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
On February 5, 1955, Art and Lorraine were united in marriage and later he graduated with his degree in Music Education from Drake University. Art obtained his master’s degree in education from the University of Omaha.
In 1955 the couple were blessed with their first son Steve on Arthur’s birthday and welcomed three more children: Robin, Candace and John. The family relocated in 1965 to a farm west of Ricketts, Iowa. Art began his teaching career in the Charter Oak Community School District, teaching band and voice for 35 years. He enjoyed being a band director and had an appreciation for all genres of music from pep to swing, to organizing marching band. He passed his love of music to all four of his children having the pleasure of teaching all four of them in school and at home. In 2018, Art and Lorraine relocated to and apartment in Mapleton, Iowa.
Art was a devoted and faithful member of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Charter Oak, Iowa, where he was baptized and confirmed in his Lutheran faith. He shared his talents and time from the church loft as a resident organist for many years. He also served as congregation president, elder, and taught Bible study.
An avid gardener, Art loved growing vegetables along with some of the best watermelons. He would tend to his garden pulling weeds and canning the fruits of his labor to later share with others. Later in life Art became a craftsman making furniture out of reclaimed barn wood and selling his creations across five different states. He enjoyed fishing for carp and would wake early in the morning to make his own dough ball recipe. When asked why he liked to fish for carp, Art replied, he enjoyed the fight of reeling them into shore.
Art had a great sense of humor and a laugh that could fill a room. His children fondly remember him laughing boisterously at the Saturday morning cartoon’s especially the Roadrunner. Over the years Art played the piano in a traveling band called the We 5 Combo along with playing the tenor saxophone in the Al Hesse Dance Band. Art and Lorraine delighted in dancing across the floor on Saturday nights together. The couple shared 68 years together and treasured their faith, family and friends.
Left to cherish his memory are his devoted wife of 68 years Lorraine Beeck of Mapleton, IA; children: Steve (Karleen) Beeck of Charter Oak, IA, Robin (Randy) Ehrichs of Panama City, FL, Candace (Karl) Peterson of Lenox, IA, and John Beeck (special friend Pam Bolender) of Sergeant Bluff, IA; grandchildren :Chris (Makayla) Beeck, Samantha (Dan) Isaac, Josh (Ashley) Beeck, Dylan (Brinkley) Beeck, and Connor (Marissa) Beeck; Aaron (Michelle) Ehrichs, Aubrey Rose Ehrichs, Alissa (Daniel) Luberto, Adam (Monica) Ehrichs, Amy (Michael) Noteware, Andrew (Sara) Ehrichs; Britney (Tom) Coulon, Alex (Anna) Peterson, Tyler (Maggie) Peterson, Mason (Regan) Peterson, and Madison (John) Bisignano; Noah (Billi) Beeck and Jasmine Beeck; sisters: Judy Strandburg of Schleswig, IA, Jane (Doug) Dowty of Scottsdale, AZ, and Lorna Gilmore of Scottsdale, AZ; extended family and friends.
Art was preceded in death by his father Arthur Hudson; mother Lillian (Jepsen) Beeck; step father Fred Beeck; brothers Bob Beeck and Larry Beeck; granddaughter Andrea Ehrichs; great-grandson Riley Beeck; sisters-in-law Jolene Beeck and Marilyn Meseck; and brothers-in-law Larry Strandburg, Tex Gilmore, DuWayne Meseck.
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