John E. Beck

John Emil Beck, age 86, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the Good Samaritan Society Village in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 6, 2024, at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Watertown, SD. Pastor Janine Rew-Werling and Pastor Craig Werling will officiate. Music will be provided by Dorothy Fuller as organist.  The funeral service will be live-streamed and recorded on our website.

Visitation will be at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Thursday, September 5, 2024, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Burial will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Clark, SD. Military graveside honors will be conducted by the Cagley-Smith Post #60 of the American Legion, Clark, SD, and the Military Funeral Honors Team of the
SD Army National Guard.

John was born on April 18, 1938, to Emil and Frieda Beck. He attended rural school and high school in Eureka, SD, graduating in 1956. John then worked for Arnie Lapp Insurance after graduation.

He enlisted in the army in 1960, served in Okinawa, and returned in 1964.

John was united in marriage to Carol Clara Dietsch, on April 23, 1965. With this union they were blessed with two children, a son, Barry Beck, and a daughter Bobbi Beck.

John was employed by W. W. Grainger for 36 years. He was a respected leader and lived in various places around the country, including Billings, MT; Minneapolis, MN; Denver, CO; Sacramento, CA, and Los Angeles, CA. John and Carol moved back to Denver in 1996 where he finished his career eventually retiring in 2001. 

John remarried Mary Gayle Kittelson, on March 13th , 2011.  John and Mary enjoyed their life together.

John is survived by his wife Mary; two children, Barry (Deborah) Beck and daughter Bobbi Beck; granddaughters, Taylor, and Jordan Beck; his sister, Sonja (Stan) Schnabel; two nephews, one niece, numerous cousins, and three stepchildren, Debbie, Greg, and Douglas.

John was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife Carol.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapwl www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant, Arlington, Lake Preston, and Oldham

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