Robert Beckers

Funeral services for Robert Beckers were held on Thursday, January 2, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gregory, SD, with Father Ron Garry officiating.

Music was provided by Barb Dooley, soloist, accompanied by Mary Beth Gergen, pianist.

Ed and Leanne Sinclair were in charge of registration.

Casket bearers were Branden (Schoofs) Wood, Alex Schoofs, Greg Schoofs, Joe Wood, Michael Dooley, and Bob Dooley.

Burial was in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Gregory, SD. Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Robert G. Beckers was born February 21, 1928, on a farm 2 ½ miles south of Gregory, SD. Two doctors (brothers) were in attendance. Because he was somewhat frail, he was baptized in the Catholic faith a few days after his birth. His father’s name was Thomas and his mother’s was Agnes Abbenhaus Beckers. His older siblings were Thomas and Lorraine; his younger sister was Margaret Ann. His first year of school was in a country one-room schoolhouse 1 ½ miles away to which he, his older siblings, and several neighbor children walked each day. The rest of his grade school was a Catholic school in Gregory. He attended high school in Gregory and graduated in 1945.

His first two years in college were in Sioux City, IA. He then attended Creighton University in Omaha, NE and graduated in 1949. He entered St. Paul’s seminary in St. Paul, MN.

Bob was ordained as a Catholic priest May 27, 1954. He was an assistant pastor in Rapid City, SD, for a short time and then was transferred to Winner, SD, for five years and then to Hot Springs, SD. He was a member of the South Dakota National Guard in Winner and his unit was activated during the Berlin Crisis on October 1, 1961.

Bob served in the Army for 12 years at Ft. Riley, KS, Germany, Korea, Vietnam. He was stationed in Ft. Gordon, GA, Ft. Hamilton, NY and Ft. Meade, MD. He attended the Army career course schools and the Army Command and Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS (1970). Bob was on the faculty at the Army Chaplain school in New York for two years. He also earned a Masters in Business Administration from Adelphi University in New York. He advanced to a Lieutenant Colonel before leaving the Army.

Bob asked permission to leave the priesthood in 1970. He married the late Elaine Seck and had a daughter, Lisa-Marie (Schoofs). He married Martha Angle on August 10, 1985. They enjoyed many happy years together -- working on their properties, taking annual family trips with Bob’s siblings and their spouses and traveling to many US and foreign locations. Martha passed away on August 6, 2011.

He worked for a wholesale baking company for many years and also was involved in investing and managing property in the Kansas City Plaza area. Bob was a very active member of Visitation Catholic Church and served in many of its ministries.

After Martha’s death in 2011, he continued to live on or near the Plaza in Kansas City.

He passed away December 27, 2025. He is survived by his daughter, Lisa-Marie (Greg) Schoofs; grandchildren: Eden, Branden (husband Joe Wood) and Alex; sister Margaret Ann; and many nephews and nieces.