David Roswell Beck was born August 20, 1988, the first child of John and Anna Lumadue Beck, at the family farm northwest of Clarks. He received his early schooling at Pleasant Hill country school.
David lived most of his teen years with his maternal grandparents, John and Jane Lumadue, where he engaged in farming and cattle feeding. In 1909 he was married to Fern Trullinger, daughter of James and Matilda Trullinger.
They made their home on a farm south of Pleasant Hill School and to them were born three children: two daughters, Helen (Fleshman) now living at Bellevue, Nebraska, and Lola (Mrs. Ed Hoback) living west of Central City, and Harold, at Clarks.
David attended Pierce Chapel Church and Sunday School from childhood, and received his name in honor of Roswell Pierce, for whom the Chapel was named.
David was a victim of the flu epidemic during World War One and, as a result, had poor health the remainder of his life.
David was a member of the Farmers Union in Clarks for a number of years.
In 1947, David and Fern purchased a farm three miles west of Clarks, where they spent their retirement years enjoying gardening and flower growing, until David’s death in 1962. Fern remained on the farm for a short time and then moved to the Good Samaritan Village in Hastings, Nebraska. From there she moved to Bellevue, and now resides at Hillcrest Care Center in that city. The farm is now the home of a grandson, Leslie Beck.
Submitted by Viola Beck
Source: Merrick County Historical Society, History of Merrick County, Nebraska (1981), Volume I, Dallas, Texas : Taylor Publishing Company, 1981.