John & Regina Beck

by Elaine Beck Chambliss

John Joseph Beck, son of Albert and Hettie Goertz Beck was born in Bastrop County, Texas on November 16, 1915 and has spent his entire life in the Rockne Community. Regina Victoria Leopold, daughter of Arthur Christian and Mary Heine Leopold, was born August 10, 1915 in New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas. Her family moved to Nada, Colorado County, Texas when she was one year old. She lived there until 1935 when she came to Rockne as the housekeeper for her uncle, Msgr. Aloysius A. Leopold who became pastor at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rockne. Here John met Regina and they started dating and on September 23, 1940 they were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Nada, Colorado County, Texas.

John leased the house and land where they now live shortly before they married, and with a little luck in 1944 they were able to purchase it. As their family grew, so did the house, as they kept expanding for the eleven children that were born to them. They struggled through some very rough times during their marriage, but their faith never waivered. They encouraged their children to continue their education. The encouragement paid off as all ten children that lived to adulthood went on to college. Ten of the children are still living.

John worked for many years farming and raising chickens, finally giving it up to work in the cement business, retiring from Centex in 1980, to devote his time to his family, farm, and his cattle. He was very active in Sacred Heart Catholic Church and community affairs.

Regina taught at Sacred Heart Catholic School for three years. Regina had always wanted a College Degree so she went back to school and got her Degree in Education from Southwest Texas University at the age of 62 in 1977 after she had raised her family. She was active in Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Community affairs. She served as President of AARP in Bastrop for several years.

John and Regina loved to travel. They were in thirty four (34) states and took two trips to Europe. They traveled to New England four times since John retired in 1980. John's words: "Our traveling days are over, having reached the age of 87, I think it is time to hang up our spurs and call it a day."