Harold Beck

Harold Beck, 100 of Vera, passed from this life on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 in Seymour, surrounded by his children.

Services will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the Vera Methodist Church with Matt DesAutels officiating. Burial will follow in the Vera Cemetery under the direction of Archer Funeral Home, Seymour, Texas.

Harold was born on November 25, 1924 in the Cottonwood Community to Ernest and Zoe Benge Beck. He was a graduate of Vera High School and entered Texas Tech in the fall of 1942. Before he finished out the school year, he along with 2 other friends from Vera, joined the Navy, where he served 2 years, 9 months and 13 days during WWII. The trio were sent to boot camp at San Diego, California, then on to Astoria, Oregon where he “did mostly KP on a flight line”. From there he went to Gunnery school in Seattle and was then assigned to the aircraft carrier, USS Solomons. The ship sailed from San Diego to the East Coast and then to the South Atlantic where they were doing submarine patrol. Harold was an Aviation Machinist Mate, 3rd Class and worked as an airplane mechanic. The ship stayed at sea for almost a year. Harold was then assigned to another carrier that was going to the Coral Sea. He was flown to Norfolk, Virginia to board it, but it sailed before he arrived, so he ended up being assigned to the airbase in Norfolk. He was then assigned to the USS Vixen, which was a flagship for Admiral Ingram, and he helped maintain the Admiral’s 4 airplanes. Harold was discharged from service in February of 1946, after WWII ended. He married Edith McGaughey in June of 1946 and the couple moved to Lubbock, where he entered Texas Tech again, graduating in 1950. He also attended Midwestern, Vernon Regional, Hardin Simmons and TCU. The couple moved to Vera in May of 1950, where they lived and raised their family except for a brief time in Lubbock and Ft. Worth. He started teaching at Gilliland in 1954, taught at Vera from 1956-1960 and Seymour from 1960-1989. Harold also farmed in Vera since 1946. He was a member of the Vera Methodist Church. Harold was preceded in death by his wife, Edith Beck; his parents, Ernest and Zoe Beck and 2 brothers, Ernest Beck, Jr. and Clyde Beck.

Survivors include 2 daughters, Brenda Beck of Austin, Debrah Beck of Denton; 2 sosn, Kent and Elaine Beck of Copper Canyon and Keith and Judy Beck of Vera; 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m., Friday at the funeral home.

The family suggests memorials to Vera Cemetery Association, Beyond Faith Hospice, Knox County Fire Department, Seymour Meals on Wheels or a charity of your choice.