Anita L. Beck, of Freeburg, was born on September 11, 1925, at Belle, a daughter of William Edgar and Elizabeth Victoria (Schoenauer) Leffler and departed this life at 1:55 a.m., Thursday, October 22, 2015, at Westphalia Hills, Westphalia. Mrs. Beck had been in failing health for the past few months and had attained the age of 90 years, 1 month, and 11 days.

In 1945, Anita met Wilbur "Bill" Beck who had just completed his service to our country in World War II. They were united in marriage on June 27, 1946 at Green Ridge, and to this union, three children were born. Anita was preceded in death by her husband, Bill on November 19, 1987; her father, William in 1974; her mother, Elizabeth in 1962; three brothers, Archie Leffler, Ted Leffler and infant William E. Leffler, II; two sisters, Beulah Phillips Bacon and Ada Bruton Bell; four brothers-in-law, Don Phillips, Chester Sassmann, Lee Bruton and Don Bruton; one sister-in-law, Ruth Leffler; five nephews and two nieces.

Mrs. Beck was a 1943 graduate of Belle High School. Following graduation she worked as a bookkeeper for the University of Missouri Extension Office in Owensville for three years, then became a stay at home mother after the birth of her first child. In 1951, she and her husband established Beck Motors, Inc., in Freeburg, and she retired from active ownership in 1987. Mrs. Beck was a member of the Women's Auxiliary of the America Legion, Freeburg, for over 50 years; she was a member of the Missouri River Regional Library Osage County Board, Linn; and served on the Freeburg Senior Citizens Housing Board. Anita enjoyed being a member of the Red Hat Society and volunteered for many years at Holy Family School. Through the years, Mrs. Beck cared for her father and mother, and remembered them by decorating their graves (as well as those of other relatives) faithfully, several times each year. Anita loved the outdoors, enjoyed going for drives to admire the changing seasons, looking at wildflowers, traveling with her husband and birdwatching. Fishing was one of her favorite pastimes, and she enjoyed many different water activities at her house at the Lake of the Ozarks. Anita worked with ceramics for many years and could outplay most in a game of Scrabble. She loved to compete and taught her children to play many different sports and activities. Anita was known to have no mercy while playing table tennis and rarely, if ever let others (including her children) win a game. She enjoyed writing short stories and was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend. Anita will be remembered for her quick wit, immense generosity and fierce loyalty.

Those left to mourn the passing of Mrs. Beck include: her three children, Vicki Lynn Ford and her husband Randy, Jefferson City; Olin Keith Beck and wife, Karen, Freeburg and Trudi Beck and husband, Kirk Weaver, Littleton, Colorado; five grandchildren, Jason (Emily) Ford, Overland Park, Kansas; Craig Beck, New York City, New York; Kristi (Bryan) Brune, Freeburg; Madison Weaver and McKinley Weaver, both of Littleton, Colorado; six great-grandchildren, Elizabeth and Michael Ford, Overland Park, Kansas and Ellie, Blake, Kacey and Chloe Brune all of Freeburg; two sisters, Geneva Sassmann, Owensville and Dorothy Bruton, Bellflower, California; one sister-in-law, Nikki Leffler, Manson, Washington; and many other relatives and friends.


Funeral services were conducted for Mrs. Beck at 11 a.m., Monday, October 26, 2015 in the Holy Family Catholic Church, Freeburg. Interment will be in the Holy Family Cemetery, Freeburg, under the direction of the Vienna Chapel of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Homes.

Interment was in the Holy Family Cemetery, Freeburg, under the direction of the Vienna Chapel of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Homes. Pallbearers for Mrs. Beck were Dan Bloemke, Doug Bloemke, Tom Bloemke, Mike Bloemke, Bruce Sassmann, Jim Phillips, Kelly Bruton, and Jerome Huerner. Honorary pallbearers were Charlie Schlottach, Jim Kuhl, and Danny Herzing.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Holy Family Home and School, Freeburg or to Hospice Compassus with envelopes available at the Holy Family Church, Freeburg or the Vienna Office of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Homes.