Reverend Reinhard Arthur Beckman was born in Phillips County, Kansas, on January 23, 1912, to parents Wilhelm and Clara Harms Beckman. He was made a Child of God in Holy Baptism in St. Paul Lutheran Church in Phillipsburg, Kansas. He grew up on a farm in rural South East Nebraska, near Sterling. He graduated from High School in Sterling, Nebraska. Reinhard graduated from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa and Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. He was ordained a Lutheran pastor July 7, 1935, in St. Paul Lutheran, (Helena) Cook, Nebraska.

Shortly after ordination Pastor Beckman began his ministry at St. Luke Lutheran Church, a rural parish in Otoe County, Nebraska. He married Darline Juilfs October 6, 1935, and they made their home in the St. Luke parsonage in Dunbar until their move to Elkhorn, Nebraska, in 1938. In Elkhorn Pastor Beckman served Bethany Lutheran Church, a mission congregation that experienced rapid growth and became self-supporting under his leadership. A unique experience was the reception of 94 new members and the baptism of 27 adults, all on one Sunday.

In 1948 Pastor Beckman accepted a call to serve two congregations at Gothenburg, Nebraska. After four years those two congregations merged to form American Lutheran Church. A new church facility was built to accommodate the newly merged congregation.

Reverend and Mrs. Beckman moved to Syracuse, Nebraska, in 1961 when he became the pastor of Luther Memorial Lutheran Church. During his ministry at Luther Memorial an education unit was built and the sanctuary, social hall and educational units were air conditioned. From 1972 until 1979 Pastor Beckman served as Administrator of the Good Samaritan Center in Syracuse, while Mrs. Beckman served as Administrative Assistant.

In 1979 Pastor and Mrs. Beckman began retirement from active parish ministry. However, between the retirement years of 1979 and 1983, Pastor Beckman served par-time in public relations work for Oaks Indian Mission in Oklahoma, served 13 congregations as Interim pastor and worked part time as an employee of Fusselman Funeral Home in Syracuse.

At the age of 71 Reverend Beckman became mission developer/pastor of a new congregation, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, in Palmyra, Nebraska. In the ten years he served Beautiful Savior on a part time basis, the congregation grew from 19 to over 200 baptized members. Two building programs were completed.

In addition to parish ministry and the administration of a nursing home, Pastor Beckman fulfilled a number of church and community leadership roles. For the Central District of the American Lutheran Church, a predecessor body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, he served as Secretary of the District, Secretary of the Mission Board, Chairperson of the Youth Committee and Director of Leadership Training Schools for Youth. While pastor in Elkhorn, Nebraska, he served as Protestant Chaplain at Boys Town, Omaha. He played a leading role in the organization of the Great Plains Lutheran Hospital Association and served on the National Board of Directors for the Evangelical
Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, President for five years.

In the Syracuse community Reverend Beckman served on the Chamber of Commerce, Park Board, Handibus Committee, and the Otoe County World of Aging Board, assisting in providing transportation and meals for elderly. He was instrumental in developing the Good Samaritan Center in Syracuse. For many years, Pastor Beckman taught a weekly Bible Study at the Center.

For the past four years, Pastor Beckman lived at Linden View Assisted Living in Syracuse. He passed away at the Good Samaritan Nursing Center, also in Syracuse.

Pastor Beckman is preceded in death by his parents, Wilhelm and Clara Beckman; his wife, Darline; two sons, Rev. James Beckman and Donald Beckman; brothers, Arnold, Walter, Elmer, Norman, Merlin and Raymond Beckman; and a sister, Edna Eisenhauer.

He is survived by a son, Reverend Ron Beckman and wife Judy; two grandchildren, Michele Hild and husband Jeff, and Matthew Beckman and wife, Tomomi and great-grandson, Adam; a great granddaughter, Grace; a sister, Dorothy Kroeger, a brother, Wayne Beckman; sister-in-law, Lydia Beckman; sister-in-law, Ruth Juilfs; brother-in-law, Fred Juilfs; nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday January 23, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. at the Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Syracuse, NE.

Burial will be at Park Hill Cemetery in Syracuse.

Visitation will be Tuesday January 22 from 9 A.M. until 9 P.M. with family greeting friends from 5 until 7 P.M.

Memorial may be directed to the Beckman Family Scholarship at Wartburg Seminary.

Fusselman-Allen-Harvey Funeral Home Syracuse, NE 402-269-2441