Beukelman, William, 1891-1934

BEUKELMAN, WESTERBERG, WESTENBERG, BOMGAARS

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:37

From the Alton Democrat, May 25, 1934:

Former Alton Man Dies at Leota, Minn.

Wm. Beukelman, who formerly resided north of Alton, passed on at Leota, Minn., Thursday at the age of nearly 43 years. He is survived by his wife, the former Miss Tillie Westerburg, and two sons, Peter 13 and Dick 10; by his father, Peter Beukelman, now 90 years of age; two sisters, Mrs. Gt. Karssen of Alton and Mrs. Roy Vos of Sioux Center; and by four brothers, Jim, Ed, Marinus and Neal all of Leota. The Beukelman family were early residents of the county and Wm. grew to manhood in this vicinity. Fifteen years ago he went to Leota, where he farmed until compelled to retire on account of ill health.

Funeral services were held Saturday from the Westerburg home, as Mrs. Beukelman and one of the sons were both confined to bed with measles at the time. Mr. and Mrs. Gt. Karssen and children returned Sunday after attending the services. Others from this vicinity at the funeral were Henry Vlieger and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. John Ruisch, Dick Ruisch and sons, Bill and Howard.

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RESEARCH NOTES

No obituary was found in the Nobles County Times, May 24 or 31, 1934. There appears to be no Leota newspaper for this time period.

Minnesota death certificate 1934-MN-009786 gives his birth date as May 28, 1890, in South Dakota; parents Peter Beukelman, born in the Netherlands, and Dirkje Boomgaars, born in Iowa; wife Tillie Westenberg; a farmer; died at Leota at 9:05 a.m. May 17, 1934; cause, abscess left lung, duration 1 month; no burial place given.

A memorandum by Dr. J. A. Myers, University of Minnesota Dept. of Medicine says “In going over the record in the Chest Clinic, I find that Mr. Beukelman’s tuberculin test was negative. However, he had an extensive fibrosis throughout the left lung with marked thickening of the pleura and a probable pneumothorax pocket. The right lung was entirely clear, as far as we could determine on physical and x-ray film examination. No significant microorganisms were found in the system. Mr. Beukelman gave a history of having had influenza more than a year ago. From the symptoms he described and the subsequent findings, I am inclined to believe that he also had pneumonia and that the fibrosis, pleural thickening, etc., resulted from that disease."

FindaGrave.com shows him buried in the Leota town cemetery, gives his life dates as 1891-1934, and has a photo of his and Tillie’s joint headstone. She died in 1985.

The U.S. census for 1930, Leota, Nobles County, Minnesota shows Will Beukelman (38), born in South Dakota, parents born in the Netherlands, a farmer; wife Tillie (33), born in Iowa; sons Peter (9) and Didrich (6), both born in Minnesota, and William Ruisch (14), relationship too scribbled to read, born in Minnesota, a farm laborer. They are living next door to Peter Beukelman (82) and his sons Neal (42) and Marinus (41), all farmers.

The South Dakota Birth Index on Ancestry.com has an entry for William Beukelman, born 27 May 1891 in Douglas County, South Dakota, parents Peter Beukelman and Dirkje Bamgaars [i.e., Bomgaars]; filed 28 Feb. 1938.