John Beckius, '64, Made the Most of His Time at Boys Town

john-beckius"Boys Town gave me the education and skills to find my own way in the world and for that I am forever grateful."

For the Beckius boys, John being the oldest, Boys Town was their destination in July of 1957.  Facing a challenging family situation, the County Welfare Office in Ogallala, Nebraska saw that Boys Town would be the right place for these young boys.  John and his brothers, Charles, ’65, were the first to arrive and were followed later by their younger brother Nick, ’68.
As was the practice during the time of John’s arrival, he was given a voice test to see if he would be a candidate for the Choir Section.  On the grade school side the boys who passed the singing audition were housed in Gregory Hall or 3rd Building.  This is where the sixth-grader, John, would settle in.  He joined 99 other boys who lived in apartments with 25 boys each.  Moving into a situation with so many other boys John faced his first challenge and that was learning to get along with some of the other kids.  There are times when a kid just wants to wander and John was no different.  One idyllic summer evening he and his classmate and friend, John Mollison, were sitting behind 3rd Building planning an unsanctioned hike into Omaha to “see how the rest of the world lives” when they were approached by Frank “Moe” Szynskie, ’47, Counselor and Assistant Choir Director, who seemed to know what was afoot.  Moe, in his inimitable fashion, allowed as how the plan was not such a good one and dinner was about to be served in the dining hall and the two would miss out on it if they were to be gone.  Realizing that the jig was up the two would-be wanderers headed to the dining hall for a delicious dinner.
John immediately became immersed in the many musical opportunities available to the boys at that time.  “My most monumental moments at Boys Town were taking piano lessons from Gertrude Plewa, playing in the elementary band under the direction of Carlton Bleick, taking violin lessons from Carl Lyon, and of course, singing in the Boys Town Choir under the direction of Father Schmitt. The choir tours were the most memorable of all.”
Every youth who comes to Boys Town has special memories of a person who made a difference in their lives.  “The person who was the most inspirational in my early life at Boys Town was my 6th grade teacher, Mathilda Wichert. She got me on the right path for learning and studying in school. Now, in my golden years, I look back and realize all my teachers and counselors were great people.”, says John.  Another teacher left a mark on John.  “The driver education teacher at Boys Town was a very thorough teacher. I credit Alvin Bosn for my being a very safe driver. I am still a school bus driver.”
Never one to shy away from experimenting, John decided that he would like to parachute out of the window of his second floor room in Cottage 37.  (Cottage 37 is now the home on Sudyka directly behind the Music Hall) Determining that his bedsheet was a suitable substitute for a parachute, he took to the skies with great gusto only to land rather quickly and get a sprained ankle out of the whole adventure.  He had a somewhat difficult time trying to explain his medical situation to his counselor and the Alexian Brothers at the Boys Town clinic.

Boys Town’s primary goal is to prepare youth for life and give them the tools to succeed.  It was no different in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

John on tour with the Boys Town Choir in 1959

bt-choir-beckius-1959
 
 
 
The Boys Town Choir in front of their tour bus at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois where they were performing for the Navy personnel.
Of his education John reflects, “The education I received at Boys Town was, I feel, more thorough than the education in a lot of schools today.”  Coming from a rural part of Nebraska he felt at home in a farm environment.  “I also worked on the beef farm at Boys Town. Over the years I had several show cattle that I took to livestock shows. I learned how to trim and care for my animals and feed them to have a great show animal.”  The boys who worked on the farm were required to be up very early in the morning to care for the animals and it all had to be done before breakfast and school.  During the winter it was a bit of a hike from Cottage 37, his high school home, to the beef farm on the southeast side of campus near 132nd and Pacific Streets.  It certainly built stamina and an appreciation for hard work.
John is a Navy veteran and holds a private pilot’s license.  While in the Navy he was a machinist and the go-to man for special projects since he could create just about  anything out of metal in his shop.   He is currently the church organist at St. Helena Catholic Church in Ellendale, North Dakota.  “I also participate in weekly jam sessions with one of my ten accordions.”  He lives alone on his farmstead in North Dakota.  His wife passed away in 2010.  John’s youngest son lives 30 miles away and he relishes the time he gets to spend with his granddaughter Evelyn.
Staying busy is John’s life.  “For my own entertainment I have a portable grand piano, 10 accordions, 2 violins, 3 mandolins, 3 trumpets, a clarinet and a trombone. Also a couple of guitars. I have 4 computers which all have flight simulator software and I enjoy doing things that I would never try in actuality. One instance is to do a loop with a C130 Hercules (it can be done).”
John’s plan for the future is “…to keep on doing what I am doing. I love what I do and I am happy with my life.  Boys Town gave me the education and skills to find my own way in the world and for that I am forever grateful.” 
John is a frequent attendee at Alumni reunions and is a Lifetime Member of the Boys Town National Alumni Association.