San
Joaquin County
Biographies
FRANK W. BECKMAN
Among California’s native sons of
whom she is justly proud is numbered the late Frank W. Beckman, a prominent and
worthy representative of an early family of San Joaquin County. He was born on his father’s ranch near Lodi
on July 29, 1875. His father, Henry H.
Beckman, was born in Bremen, Prussia, on March 13, 1834, and was reared on a
farm in his native land until he was fourteen when he started for the United
States in 1848. Five years later he
crossed the plains to California with an ox-team and settled in Elkhorn
Township, San Joaquin County, where, with his brothers, he farmed grain until
1859, when a division was made of the property and from that time on he farmed
alone, having as much as 1,000 acres in grain at one time and he became very
well-to-do. He married Miss Margaret
Toni, a native of Switzerland. He was a
charter member of Woodbridge Lodge No. 131, F. & A. M.
Frank W. began his education in the
schools of his district and later was graduated from the San Joaquin Valley
College at Woodbridge, and supplemented this with a year at Stanford
University. After finishing his
education he went to work on his father’s ranch, but soon an opportunity
presented itself and he became one of the founders of the grocery firm of
Beckman & Thompson, operated for years under the firm name of Beckman,
Welch & Thompson Company; this is not only a pioneer firm of Lodi, but is
the largest in that line.
As a progressive citizen, Frank
Beckman was public spirited and was ready to assist any worthy project that he
thought would help to build up his community; he served as a member of the Lodi
library board; was a stockholder in the Lodi National Bank and in the First
National Bank. In his fraternal
relations he was active in Masonic circles and held membership in Woodbridge
Lodge No. 131, F. & A. M., of which he was a past master, belonged to
Stockton Chapter, R. & A., and to Stockton Commandery, K. T., and to Islam
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in San Francisco.
He was also past patron of Woodbridge Chapter No. 118, O. E. S.;
belonged to Stockton Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. E., and to the Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Beckman’s marriage on November
30, 1899, united him with Miss Addine Le Moin, a native of California born in Amador County November
30, 1880, the daughter of George W. Le Moin,
mentioned on another page of this history.
Three children were born of this union:
Margaret is Mrs. J. E. Devine and the mother of a son, Dalton, and they
reside in Lodi; Le Moin F. and Addine
Winifred are students in the Lodi high school.
Mr. Beckman passed away May 23, 1907, mourned by his family and a large
circle of friends and acquaintances.
Since the death of Mr. Beckman, Mrs. Beckman has carried on the various
projects that he had started and is interested in the First National Bank, the
Lodi National Bank and the Lodi Investment Company. In 1922 she completed one of the most modern
of homes on West Pine Street, Lodi, where she lives with her family. She takes an active interest in and is a
member of the Woman’s Club of Lodi and Lodi Chapter No. 151, O. E. S.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
654-657. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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