Margaret Elvera Beckman

Margaret Elvera Beckman (Swanson) was born to Swedish parents Axel and Edith Swanson on January 11, 1934, in Milliken, Colorado, joining sister Linnea, age 4. She grew up on farms during the Great Depression, with her mother growing and canning vegetables and her father raising cows, pigs and chickens for their meat. They had no electricity, no running water, and no indoor plumbing. She has considered herself a frugal person, no doubt from this humble beginning.

During her childhood she was a “tomboy”...climbing fences, trees and haystacks with her boy cousins, playing baseball and learning to ride a bicycle, much to her father’s dismay as he thought she’d get hurt. She had scarlet fever as a child and almost died, but her mother diligently cared for her.

Her family moved to Denver in the early 1940’s so her father could take a job with the railroad. In July 1947, at age 13, her family moved to Portland as the area reminded her father of his homeland in Sweden. She had attended six schools and lived in seven different houses in Colorado. Her family settled in North Portland where she attended Jefferson High School and lived in the same house throughout high school.

Her first Sunday in Portland at the First Evangelical Free Church, the Beckman family invited her family over for dinner after church, where she met her future husband, Roland Jon Beckman “Corky”. They began dating six months later in the spring of 1948 at the ages of 14 (Margaret) and 15 (Corky). They attended Bible Study and Tuesday night devotions together, and Margaret attended Corky’s baseball games at Jefferson High School.

They married in 1953 and had four children by 1961, Ted, Jay, Debi and Becky. She loved being home raising her children and was able to be home with them for eleven years before she had to go back to work in the insurance industry. She always said that raising her kids were the most wonderful years of her life. She was a devoted mom and very good cook. Sunday dinners after church consisted of roast beef and mashed potatoes and often included someone who didn’t have anywhere else to go for dinner, like our single pastor, Wally Roseburg.

Throughout the years of raising her children, she was involved in teaching Sunday School and various kid’s club programs at church, like Pioneer Girls and Awana. She was also on the Social Committee at church and in charge of the women’s ministries program, as well as being the church financial secretary. She coordinated many church banquets/potlucks and passed this skill on to her daughters. Her Christian faith has been a strength in her life and she speaks fondly of that faith now touching seven generations.

She started working underwriting automobile insurance in high school. Later moving on to personal lines of insurance, and then as a worker’s compensation claims examiner. She retired in 1991 and began a new “career” of watching her grandchildren.

She has always felt that having grandchildren was one of the greatest joys in life. She has provided daily childcare to some, assisted her daughter Becky in her in-home daycare, and attended many activities of her grandchildren from sports, to concerts, and theatre productions. These grandchildren and their activities kept her busy after losing her husband Corky to cancer in 1997.

She has loved travelling, from camping and fishing trips while raising her children, to anniversary trips with Corky to Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Alaska. In 2000, she had the joy of going to Sweden with her sister, where they stayed overnight in the house in which her father was born, in 1895. While in Sweden, she connected with many relatives that she has continued to correspond with to this day.

Throughout her adult life she has loved entertaining. In particular, she hosted the family’s Christmas Eve Swedish Smorgasbord until she was 88 years old. This tradition is now being continued by her family, however at over 35 people, the celebration has shifted from someone’s home to a church fellowship hall.

Her retirement years included spending time with and loving her family, caring for her dogs and keeping her yard and flower gardens looking beautiful. These things have brought a lot of joy to her and kept her active for many years. She has ministered to other seniors by providing them transportation to church, Bible studies, lunch and appointments.

She moved to Bonaventure senior living at the age of 90. Although she would have preferred being able to take care of herself and was still fiercely trying to be independent. She accepted the care givers looking after her and many have expressed how nice and kind she was to them.

Her life will be celebrated by her four children; Ted Beckman, Jay Beckman (Kathy), Debi Beckman-Chin (Norm), Becky Olesen (Greg), nine grandchildren…Michele Lewis (Josh), Chris Olesen (Ashley), Kayla Beckman Taylor (Joel), Lacey Schneider (Gerald), Haylie Barkley, (Colson), Tim Beckman (Robin), Eric Chin (Rashae), Kendall Chin-Steele (Taylor), and McKenna Gradin (Brian), and fifteen great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Corky, and grandchildren, Brett Beckman, Kylie Chin and Ted Beckman.

Her life will be celebrated privately by her family. If anyone would like to make a contribution in her memory, please send to Black Lake Bible Camp and Retreat Center, 6521 Fairview Rd SW, Olympia, WA 98512.