Marilyn Heberlee Beckman

MARILYN H. BECKMAN, died November 21, 2013, peacefully after many years with Alzheimer’s, in Sugar Land, Texas. She is survived by her sons and their families, Steve and Phyllis Beckman of Fort Worth, Texas, Ken, Cathey and Maggie Beckman of Missouri City, Texas, Jeff, Robin, Samantha and Nathan Beckman of New Braunfels, Texas, and Brad, Joann, Ethan and Lilly Beckman of Pembroke Pines, Florida; and her sisters, Janet Rogers and Sandy Bealmear of Sun Lake, Arizona.

Marilyn was born July 31st 1934, in Dodge City, Kansas. She grew up on a wheat farm, sixteen miles northeast of Dodge City, in Spearville. Marilyn was the oldest of three sisters and the daughter of Walter and Thelma Heberlee. She graduated from Spearville High School in 1952, and attended college at Fort Hays Kansas State College in Hays, Kansas, graduating with a Degree in Home Economics in 1956.

Marilyn’s first job after college was working at the student union cafeteria at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She met her future husband, Murlind (Murry) W. Beckman in the boarding house where they both resided. They were married April 15th 1957. Their first son, Steve, was born while Murry was still in school. After graduation Murry accepted a job with Chevron Corporation and soon joined a Chevron seismic crew.

For the next six years, life on a Chevron seismic crew required continual transfers and Marilyn was up to the challenge. During this time three more sons were born, Ken in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Jeff in Midland, Texas, and Brad in Jackson, Mississippi.

Then in 1965 a lifelong dream of travel was rewarded with a transfer to Perth, Australia. For the next five and a half years they lived in Perth with home leave trips around the world every year. Once again Chevron transferred the family back to Houston, Texas, and they settled in Missouri City, Texas, for the next nine years. During that time Marilyn’s passion for cooking grew and she helped to start the local gourmet club, doing cooking demonstrations in malls with microwave ovens and starting a cooking school.

In 1979 the lure of travel was strong again for the couple and they went back to Perth, Australia for one and a half years. Finally when the last son was in college, they started their second life with Chevron overseas. Their first assignment was in Madrid, Spain for three and half years, with temporary duty in London, England. Next was Guangzhou, China for three years, and the final assignment was Pointe-Noire, in Congo West Africa for two years.

A Memorial Celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, December 9, 2013, at Christ United Methodist Church, 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Marilyn's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association @ www.alz.org.

The couple retired to Littleton, Colorado near friends that were made in the early years with Chevron in Perth. In 1999 with two new granddaughters and most of their sons in Texas, they moved to Lakeway, just outside of Austin. Her husband of almost 45 years passed away in 2002, and she moved to New Braunfels in 2003 to be nearer to family and grandkids. She moved to her final stop in Sugar Land, Texas, in 2006.

For those desiring, donations in Marilyn's memory may be made to the Alzeheimer's Association @ www.alz.org.