Peter Van Beck

Peter A. Van Beck, age 80 of Greenwald, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at his home in Greenwald, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, February 26 at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Greenwald with Rev. Marvin Enneking officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Parish prayers will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Peter Adam Van Beck was born October 5, 1943 in Melrose, Minnesota to Adam and Cecilia (Fuchs) Van Beck. He attended grade school at St. Andrew’s in Greenwald and graduated from Melrose High School. Peter served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in August of 1962. He was united in marriage to Joan Schoenberg on June 19, 1965 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Spring Hill. The couple farmed south of Greenwald where they lived for 58 years. Peter also worked at John Schoenberg’s dairy farm and then at Bayer Built Wood Works for eleven years.

He was a life-long member of St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Greenwald where he served as an usher, lector, and sexton of the cemetery, and a member the Knights of Columbus. Peter enjoyed hunting, playing softball, watching his grandchildren’s sporting events, collecting Native American artifacts, taking trips out to Wyoming and Montana, and playing cards with his wife and friends.  

Survivors include his loving wife of 58 years, Joan Van Beck of Greenwald; children, Marti (Audrey) Van Beck of Padua, Mother Christina Van Beck, S.C.M.C. of Taftville, Connecticut, Greg (Kay) Van Beck of Greenwald, Chad (Brenda) Van Beck of Big Birch Lake, Michael (Amy) Van Beck of New Munich, Cory (Erica) Van Beck of Elrosa, and Nathan (Heather) Van Beck of New London; 22 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren with one on the way; brothers and sister, Norma Kaluza of Circle Pines, Vernon Van Beck of Shoreview, Larry (Rosie) Van Beck of Melrose, and Ralph (Linda) Van Beck of Melrose; and many loving relatives and friends. 

Peter was preceded in death by his parents, Adam and Cecelia Van Beck; mother and father-in-law, Victor and Bertha Schoenberg; and brothers-in-law, Roger Spanier, John Schoenberg, Tom Schwieters, and Tom Kaluza.

A special thank you to the CentraCare Hospice program for all of their loving care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Sisters of Charity of Baltic, Connecticut or St. Andrew’s Parish.