KLEMME BOOK

Gary E. Beek

1936 - 2016

Gary E. Beek June 4, 1936 - May 17, 2016 Mason City - Funeral Mass for Gary E. Beek, 79, of Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Greene, Iowa, will be 10 a.m., Saturday, May 21, 2016, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 105 N. Main St., Greene, Iowa, with Rev. Msgr. Walter Brunkan officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Greene. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, May 20, 2016, at Retz Funeral Home, 519 N. First St., Greene, with a scripture service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue at St. Mary Catholic Church on Saturday one hour before services. Gary Beek was born on June 4, 1936, in Mason City, Iowa, the son of Bernard and Esther (Pals) Beek and passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. He graduated from Rockwell High School in 1954 and began working at Deckers. Gary was united in marriage to Florence Nixt on February 2, 1957, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greene. They made their life together owning and operating Beek Farms and raising their four children. He enjoyed checking on the crops by car or by air, having earned his pilot’s license in the 1960’s. Gary loved to visit and greeted everyone with his infectious smile, even if you were a stranger. Gary is survived by his wife Florence; four children: Diana (David) Pieper, West Des Moines; Rodney Beek (friend Tami Jo) of Wichita, KS; Terry (Ruth) Beek, Cedar Falls; Dallas (Jessica) Beek, Shiloh, IL; seven grandchildren: Rachel (Clay) Weaver, Ashley Beek-Farley, Rebecca (Matthew) Horan, Brittany Beek, Colby Beek, Shaun Pieper and Denver Beek, seven great-grandchildren: Brett, Cheyla, Breea, Cole and Bayne Weaver, Adalyn and Easton Farley; brother, Craig (Nancy) Beek, Moline, IL; sister-in-law, Linda Beek, Mason City; many nieces, nephews, and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to St. Mary Catholic Church, Cerro Gordo 4-H Foundation, 2023 South Federal, Mason City, Iowa 50401, or the Greene Volunteer Fire Department.