Don's
Donald H. Beckner, 88, of North Manchester, died peacefully Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Timbercrest Senior Living Community. He had been in hospice care the past 11 days through Parkview Hospice.
Donald was born in Goshen to Samuel & Lucile (Ernest) Beckner on November 12, 1935. He grew up on the family farm, which was located on the corner of Bashor and Greene Roads in Goshen. Donald Street, just north of Bashor Road off Greene Road was named in his honor. He was active in 4-H, showing a grand champion steer at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair in 1948. He graduated from Goshen High School with the class of 1953.
His life path changed significantly on August 8, 1953 when his father died in a tragic car accident in South Bend. Instead of attending Purdue University that fall, he stayed on the family farm until 1957 when he began alternative service at Beatty Memorial Hospital in Westville. He returned to Goshen in 1959 and worked for IXL Furniture where he reconnected with Kay Holderman. They married in 1960 in Goshen. The couple had three children. Although the couple divorced in 1990, they remained friends.
For 77 years he was a member of the West Goshen Church of the Brethren, now the West Goshen Covenant Brethren Church, since his baptism on November 17, 1947. He was disappointed when the congregation left the denomination, for it has been the Church of the Brethren denomination which has been significant throughout his life.
Don began working at Eugene Dietzgen Co. in Elkhart in 1965 and then took a long-term job at CTS in Elkhart. With Don working in Elkhart, the young family moved to Elkhart in 1969 and began attending the Osceola Church of the Brethren, now Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship. In 1971, the couple purchased a children’s clothing store in Warsaw, Beckner’s Tot-Teen Shop, running the store for three years. During this time the family attended the North Winona Church of the Brethren in Warsaw.
Don continued working at CTS while living in Warsaw until one night he fell asleep at the wheel in 1974 and prompted the couple to sell the store and return to Elkhart. Donald worked at CTS until he was laid off in 1982. In 1983, he began working for Whitehall Laboratories in Elkhart. From 1977-1987, Donald also assisted his son, Dennis, and daughter, Susan, delivering the Elkhart Truth along Benham & Hively Avenues. From 1979-1983, Don and Kay co-owned Beckner/Self Concessions with Phil & Diane Self. They regularly sold concessions for Auctioneer Dwight Miller. With a son in college, he also began a part-time job in 1985 with Hook’s Drugs, now CVS, on Hively Avenue in Elkhart. During this time the family returned to, and was very active in, the West Goshen Church of the Brethren.
In 1991, not only were Don & Kay going through a divorce but Whitehall Laboratories announced they were closing the Elkhart plant. American Home Products, the parent company, offered employees the opportunity to transfer to another company owned plant and Don decided to move to Lansing, Michigan to work at Wyeth Laboratories. He lived and worked in Lansing until 1994, where he attended the Lansing Church of the Brethren.
Upon retiring from Wyeth Laboratories in 1994, Don moved back to Elkhart to be closer to family and began working at CVS full-time. He worked mostly at stores in Elkhart, Granger, and Goshen. However in 2002, he was given the opportunity to help CVS open stores in Arizona and moved to Gilbert, Arizona for 6 months where he attended the Papago Buttes Church of the Brethren in Scottsdale. He officially retired from CVS in 2007 after suffering a mini stroke.
Following the mini stroke, Don was forced to stop driving and Dennis had to take over as Power of Attorney. It was becoming more difficult for Dennis to manage Don’s care in Elkhart, so in 2009 Don moved to Garrett, Indiana to be closer to Dennis. During this year, Don attended the Cedar Creek Church of the Brethren, Garrett.
Then in 2010, Don moved to Columbia City where he became very involved with the Columbia City Church of the Brethren, where Dennis has served as pastor since 1999. He volunteered at the church in a variety of roles and attended the Men’s Fellowship breakfast every Monday.
From 2004-2014 Don participated in twelve weeklong mission trips to Native American Christian Academy (formerly Sun Valley Indian School) in Sun Valley, Arizona. He always loved traveling, especially visiting the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Hawaii, Wyoming, and Seattle. He also enjoyed attending the Indianapolis 500 time trials and 2 races, as well as attending Chicago White Sox and Cubs games. In 2011 & 2013, he attended the Church of the Brethren National Older Adult Conference in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.
In June 2015, with declining health and the issuance of a Silver Alert, Don moved to Timbercrest Senior Living Community in North Manchester, a Church of the Brethren community. While living in Independent Living, he attended the Manchester Church of the Brethren. He moved to Healthcare in March 2021.
Don is survived by his son, Dennis (Beth) Beckner, Columbia City; two daughters, Susan (Lawrence) Benner, Ashland, Ohio, and Cindy (Terry) Whitmer, Saint Joseph, Michigan; two granddaughters, Deanna Beckner, Columbia City, and Alaina (Landon) Taylor, Garrett; two great-grandchildren, Max Taylor and Mayla Taylor; sister, Sharol (Marko) Watkins, White Pigeon, Michigan; and sister-in-law, Eliza Beckner, Ellicott City, Maryland. He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, David L. Beckner.
Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Timbercrest Chapel, North Manchester. The funeral service will be held Wednesday, May 1, at 10 a.m. at the Columbia City Church of the Brethren, 112 N Washington Street, Columbia City, with one hour of visitation prior to the service. Burial will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, at West Goshen Cemetery, Goshen. Pastor Dennis Beckner will officiate.
Preferred memorials are to the Columbia City Church of the Brethren, Timbercrest Senior Living Community, or Camp Alexander Mack.
