Luvina Van "Lu" Beek

Funeral services for Luvina "Lu" Van Beek, 97, Sioux Falls, SD and formerly of Aberdeen, will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Plymouth Congregational Church, Aberdeen, with Pastor Blair Kirkpatrick officiating. Burial at Riverside Cemetery will follow the service.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Lu was born on February 2, 1928 on the family farm near Java, SD to Emma (Retzer) Stoecker and Henry Stoecker. She was the second of four siblings. Lu attended High School in Hosmer, SD graduating in 1946. She then attended Northern State Teacher's College in Aberdeen for one year. A job as a schoolteacher in a rural McPherson County school awaited her.
Lu met Richard Van Beek in Selby, SD where he taught school. They married on December 27, 1954 and started their family in 1957 when their first daughter, Carla, was born. Daughters Leslie, Holly and Lynn completed their family by 1964.
Once her children were in school, Lu took a job with the Aberdeen Public School System as a Treasurer with the School Lunch Program. She enjoyed that job for 19 years until she retired in 1992 along with Richard.
Lu was heavily involved in community service throughout her life. When her children were young, she was a 4-H Leader and contributed her time to the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen. Both Lu and Richard continued to enjoy the fair and all it offered for many years to come. While Richard was working at Northern State University, Lu was involved with NSU's Faculty Wives and later the NSU's Retired Teachers Association. Lu also supported the Brown County Republicans with her time and talents. Lu was a 60-year member of Plymouth Church at which she served on numerous boards and committees. She enjoyed her church family very much. Lu was a skilled card player. She played Bridge with a group of friends for years and family members always wanted her for partner in Whist!
Lu was devastated by her daughter Leslie's tragic accident and injury when Leslie was just 20 years old. From that point on, Lu's primary focus was to support Leslie in healing, recovery and attaining a normal life. She continued this following Richard's death as Lu and Leslie lived together and provided companionship to one another during the last five years of Lu's life.
Grateful for having shared her life include daughters, Carla Van Dyke (Ron) of Big Stone Lake, SD; Leslie Van Beek, Sioux Falls, SD; Holly Swedeen (John), Sioux Falls; and Lynn Ewing (Mike), Milwaukee, WI; 10 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren; one brother, Loven Stoecker of Faulkton, SD, brother and sister in-law John and Betty Van Beek of Pollock, SD; sister-in-law Peggy Van Beek of Pollock, SD and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard, her parents, an infant son, and her sisters Lorina Pfeifle and Leona Kern.
Lu's family wish to thank the staff at Dow Rummel Village East and Avera@Home Hospice for their compassionate care of Lu at the end of her life.