David Beech

Quiet, humble, and kind, David Beech lived each day in perpetual motion. Content to listen to others and do for himself, David was a man of deep convictions and resourcefulness. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, David's greatest joy was his family. Revered by many, David will be fondly remembered and deeply missed.
Despite the obvious gloom of the Great Depression, 1934 gave birth to many celebrated firsts. Flash Gordon made his debut while Fuji Photo Film first captured memories. The Three Stooges took center stage in their first short while the nation also met Donald Duck. The rays of Hope peeked through the clouds of despair in America when unemployment decreased to 22% marking the turning point in the Great Depression. Nowhere was there a greater sense of hope than in the Enterprise home of George and Rose (Rinn) Beech as they welcomed their son David into their family on June 7th.
David grew up in Winona County as a farmer's boy. His days centered around rising before the sun to milk the cows and tend to the chores, lending a hand wherever it was needed. From his earliest days, David learned the values of hard work and maximizing resources. Never one to enjoy sitting still, David was always on the go working, building, fixing, and tending.
After completing his early schooling at Enterprise School, David attended Lewiston High School. It was here that he met the love of his life, Margaret Anderson. While on their first date the young couple's car got stuck. Together they walked to the nearby farm of Elmer Reps who generously loaned his car for the two to travel home. Smitten from the start, David was sure he wanted to get married as soon as possible. Margaret was not so certain.
After graduating from high school in 1953, David began working for Fred Fakler. When not working David continued to persistently court Margaret, and over time he won her heart. The two married on September 14th, 1954 and began their family while living in Enterprise.
As the Beech family grew to include nine cherished children, David and Margaret moved to Peterson and eventually settled into their home north of Lewiston in 1973. David proudly provided for his family by driving a gas truck. He worked for several different companies over the years as ownership changed hands. Always on the move, David was always working on something. He didn't believe in buying anything he could build himself and his building and fabricating skills were unrivaled. With great determination, David could do anything. He made wheelbarrows and carts for hauling, sided the family's house--one side a season, and taught by example. Through David's tenaciously thrifty example, each of his children gained creative minds and a sense of confidence for figuring out how to fix things and trust that they could get by.
A man of many interests, David was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and a former member of the Lewiston Sportsmen's Club. Later in life, he became quite a computer whiz learning both on his own and from his son. Many an hour was spent working on computers. David enjoyed rebuilding and repairing the digital wonders just as much as using them to grow his knowledge.
With firm convictions, David made his intentions clear with famous quotes such as, "If you can't get it at Fleet Farm, you don't need it" and "You don't need that" when someone wanted to buy something that wasn't a necessity. He liked the Dollar Store and wanted to buy whatever he could there versus any other store because it was a bargain. Not one for gardening, David's strict policy was, "If it's green, it's a weed, and you remove it."
Without a doubt, David's favorite way to pass the time was in the good company of his growing family, sharing a meal, celebrating the simple things in life, and learning all about what was so for each of them. The Beech home transformed into the "Party House" come the holidays as the entire family returned home to partake in traditions such as Oyster Stew. Never one to need to be the center of attention, David preferred to quietly listen to the conversations around him. Afterwards, he always knew what everyone was up to because he had paid such close attention to what was said. Deeply contented by what was most important, his relationships, David was always quick to share that the best two days of his life were his wedding day and the day his only daughter, Maureen was born.
For those who spent time with him, it was easy to see that David's grandchildren were his heart's delight. In each of their eyes, he could see the best of his legacy as well as his greatest hopes for the future. He treasured spending time with them, especially when they were exploring the outdoors or working on a project together. Being a grandfather was a wonderful adventure for David, and he carried his role with honor and gratitude.
Clearly, the world seems less certain in the absence of David's steadfast presence. While it is hard to imagine a future without his quiet busy-ness, sincere listening, and good company, may our many memories of David provide deep comfort. May it also afford comfort to know that with each creatively solved problem, completed project, frugal purchase, and family gathering, we celebrate David's beautiful legacy in our own daily lives.
_______
David Joseph Beech, 83, of Lewiston died Wednesday morning, November 15th, at home in hospice care. He was born June 7th, 1934 at home in Enterprise to George and Rose (Rinn) Beech.
Survivors include his wife Margaret, seven children, Jeffery (Cindy) Beech; Michael (Pat) Beech; Kevin Beech; Chris (Deb) Beech; Maureen (Art) Stetten; Robert Beech and Corey (Theresa) Beech, grandchildren and their families, Julie (Chris) Cordes; Jen (Peter) Lieske; Krystal (Kyle Wiskow) Beech; Brandon Beech; Christopher Klug; David (Victoria Plantz) Beech; Brooke (John) Berg; Brett Beech; Landon (Cassondra Dambach) Feine; Paige Feine; Zachary and Mitchell Beech and Kyle Beech, great-grandchildren, Luke and Lily Cordes; Kylie Wiskow; Ava, Bentley and Lyric Beech, step-grandchildren, Jason Sletten, Jesse (Courtney) Sletten and Melissa Nygaard, siblings, Noreen (Jerry) Hennessy; Karen Fagerman; John Beech, and sisters-in-law Dorthy Anderson and Barb Ernster. David was preceded in death by two sons, James and Scott, grandchildren, Tiffany Dailey-Speltz and Adam Dailey, step grandson, Michael Nygaard, great-grandson Elijah Feine, sister-in-law Rosemary Beech, brothers-in-law John Anderson and Lyle Anderson and great-niece Melissa Anderson.
A Funeral Mass for David will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 21st at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Lewiston with the Reverend Glen Frerichs officiating. Cremation will follow with burial in St. Rose of Lima Cemetery at a later date. Friends may call at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church from 3-7 p.m. Monday and one hour before services on Tuesday. Pallbearers will be Tim, Terry and Edward Hennessy, Darren, Doug, Bradley and Gary Fagerman. Please share a memory of David at his on-line guestbook and view his video tribute when it becomes available at www.hofffuneral.com. Hoff Funeral Service of Lewiston is assisting the family with arrangements.