Civic leader DonnaMay Beckman dies at age 77

A long-time Maple Lake school and civic leader died last week at the age of 77, less than a year after the death of her husband, Royal.

DonnaMay Beckman served the community not only as the director of Community Education from 1979 to 1992, but as a tireless volunteer for church and community activities. She was a member of the Maple Lake Lioness Club, Eastern Star, Maple Lake American Legion Auxiliary Post 131, volunteered at Camp Friendship and was a charter member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. She died on Thursday, June 5, at the Annandale Care Center.

DonnaMay and Royal Beckman moved to Maple Lake in 1962 after they purchased Crescent Ridge Resort on Cedar Lake. They also established their business, Ceramic Tile by Royal, in Maple Lake and Royal joined DonnaMay as a civic leader in a number of community efforts and organizations. He died last year on July 28 at the age of 79.

In addition to her years with the Maple Lake School District, DonnaMay worked for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, the Maple Lake Messenger, and Monticello Community Education.

Beckman worked at the Messenger for a short time early in her years in Maple Lake.

“She was a good worker, always dependable,” said former publisher Harold Brutlag. “We were using an IBM composer, kind of a fancy typewriter, at the time, and she had a good command of the words and spelling-not many errors.”

But it was her personality that stood out.

“She was a lot of fun,” Brutlag said. “And she had a good sense of humor.”

More information appears in this weeks issue of the Messenger.