Anita Mae Miller Beckord of Longmont,
Colorado, passed away August 3, 2010 at her Hover Village
home. She was 91.
Anita was born April,16 1919 in Havelock, Iowa, to George
and Sarah Buck Miller. She grew up in nearby Rolfe, Iowa,
where she graduated from high school in 1936. She had one
brother, Leroy.
In her senior year of high school her piano instructor
entered her in the Iowa State Piano Competition in Ames,
Iowa. She earned first place honors with her performance of
Chopin's Polannaise. She was a gifted pianist and also
played bass in her brother Leroy's 1930s swing band.
In 1939 Anita took her niece to see new-born baby chickens
at a local hatchery where she met
George Beckord, a young
entrepreneur who had moved to Rolfe in 1939. After a brief
courtship George and Anita were married in 1940 and made
their home in Rolfe where they raised five children.
Over a period of 40 years, George and Anita developed their
poultry business, eventually diversifying into the
production of fertilized eggs for use by drug manufacturer
Parke-Davis. The fertilized eggs were used for the
production of flu and measles vaccines.
Anita was an active member of the Presbyterian Church in
Rolfe where she played the organ and piano for over 20
years. Even while caring for her children, her elderly
father, and several aunts and uncles, Anita always found
time to attend local sporting events, musical performances,
and church functions. When it came to the welfare of her
family, she always found a way to show her support.
The Beckord family bought land near Estes Park, Colorado in
1961 and proceeded to build a small cabin during summer
vacations over a period of five years. While George was the
builder, Anita and their children all pitched in while
living in a tent on the property. It was a very special time
for the family. While the focus may have been on building
foundations and walls, memories and bonds were being built
with even more lasting value than bricks and sticks. With a
sense of humor and a tireless work ethic, Anita did what
came naturally: nurturing a family while helping her husband
realize a lifelong dream of a home in the mountains.
After retiring from the egg business in 1979, George and
Anita moved to their cabin in Estes Park where they lived
until George’s health began to fail and they moved to their
Hover Village Condo in Longmont. George died in 1996 after
56 years with his loving wife, Anita.
Anita knew how to laugh uncontrollably, count cards when it
mattered most, and make an award-winning meat loaf enjoyed
by all who had the good fortune of eating it. Anita prayed
daily, played the piano beautifully, and loved
unconditionally.
Anita is survived three sons; John of Janesville, WI.,
Sydney and his wife Grace of Longmont, CO., Bruce and his
wife Mary Lou of Boulder, CO; a daughter Sara and her
husband Steve Swails of Iowa City, IA; a daughter-in-law
Jean of Seattle, WA, who was married to son
Donald before his passing in
1997. Anita was also the proud grandmother of 14
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
