Obituary
Virgil Bechen, 83, of Lake Andes, SD, died April 2nd, 2020 at Wagner Good Samaritan Center in Wagner, SD. He was recently placed on hospice through Avera@Home Yankton. Due to the COVID-19-related gathering restrictions, Virgil’s family will hold private services at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Lake Andes, SD on Monday, April 6th. His funeral service will be live streamed at www.virgilbechen.com. A memorial service will be held at a later date to properly celebrate Virgil’s life with his family and friends. Peters Funeral Home in Wagner, SD is in charge of arrangements. Burial is in Lakeview Cemetery, Lake Andes. Please watch our website for all updates.
Virgil Francis Bechen was born on December 12th, 1936 in Lake Andes, SD to Vincent Sr. and Rose Bechen. He attended country school just a quarter mile down the road from his home and then in Lake Andes when the country school closed due to lack of students. He attended high school in Lake Andes. When Virgil was four years old, he was burned badly from a kerosene lamp that was knocked over while his grandmother did laundry. After a lengthy recovery, he returned home to grow up and help on the family farm with his older sister and brother.
As the story was told, a young beauty named Karen Winckler caught his eye at a district basketball game in Lake Andes. They dated through the summer, often with Karen attending the drive-in movie in Lake Andes where Virgil was working security. He always made sure she had her popcorn and a pop. They married on January 27th, 1962 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wagner, SD. Seven children were blessed to this union. They lived on the family farm where his brother and mother lived. Since his dad died at an early age, Virgil farmed with Vincent his brother, as the Bechen Brothers until both of their retirements. Karen passed away May 9th, 2015.
While Virgil helped out with security around Lake Andes, he also worked on the Ft. Randall Dam in Pickstown while it was being built. Virgil had a love of motors and he worked at a service station and on the farm machinery. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Lake Andes. He was on the steering committee to help build the new Catholic Church in Lake Andes that opened in 1972.
Everyone knew Virgil was a workaholic, but his pal Eugene Payer or others were able to coax him out fishing and hunting. Another favorite pastime was visiting family friends like the Payer and Mike Kirwan families and many other friends and family that are too numerous to mention. He thoroughly enjoyed his children and grandchildren, attending their school and sporting events.
Thankful for having Virgil guide them in their lives are his children: Jeannette (Bernie) Patton of Hansville, WA; Jackie (Russell) Gall, Pickstown; Janelle (Mark) McMahon, Mitchell; Brad Bechen (Kelly Riley) Mosher; Jolynn Tronvold, Lake Andes; James (Amanda) Bechen, Wagner; Ron Bechen (Ashlee Kurtz), Sioux Falls; 20 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren. Special family were Linda Mack; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Elaine Bechen; Duane and JoAnn Winckler, Marlys and Fred Kuil, Verlin and Kathy Winckler and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife Karen, parents, sister Marlys and husband Richard Adam, brother Vincent Jr, in-laws Helmuth and Emma Winckler, and special nieces and nephews and many lifelong friends and family.