Merlyn Wayne Beekman

The funeral service will be livestreamed at:  www.youtube.com/@raymondcrc208

Merlyn W. Beekman, age 80, of Raymond, passed away Sunday morning, October 1, at CentraCare Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.  Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 5, at the Raymond Christian Reformed Church.  Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery in Raymond.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4, at the Tri-County Funeral Home and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church.  In lieu of flowers memorials to Central MN Christian School of Prinsburg and Hope Pregnancy Center of Willmar are suggested.  Arrangements are with Tri-County Funeral Home of Prinsburg.  www.tricountyfuneral.com

Merlyn Wayne Beekman was born on November 28, 1942, in Montevideo, Minnesota, to Falko and Frances (Ulferts) Beekman.  He was baptized and made his public profession of faith in the Emden Christian Reformed Church near Renville.  At the time of his death, he was a member of Raymond Christian Reformed Church in Raymond.

Merlyn attended country school through grade two and transferred to Central MN Christian School in Prinsburg, graduating in 1960.  From there, he attended Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.  In 1961, Merlyn joined the U.S. Army Reserves and completed his service in 1968.

On November 26, 1965, Merlyn married Helen Zylstra of Willmar at the Prinsburg Christian Reformed Church.  Four daughters, Debra, Janel, Aimee, and Tonya were born to this union.

Merlyn farmed in the rural Sacred Heart area and rural Brooten area through 1997.  He was a charter member of Southern MN Sugar Beet Cooperative and served on its board of directors.   After his farming career, he worked with Hawk Creek Watershed until his retirement in 2020.

Merlyn was a dedicated family man and served as Sunday School teacher and elder in Bunde Christian Reformed Church and Brooten Community Church.

Merlyn is survived by his wife Helen; three daughters: Janel (and Yancy) Evenson of Willmar, Aimee (and Joel) TeBrake of Raymond and Tonya (and Ross) Larson of Willmar; one son-in-law: Harrison Newhouse of Hancock; eighteen grandchildren: Christine (Newhouse Morris) and Wayne Manders of Andover, Joseph and Laura Newhouse of Marshall, Jaclyn (Newhouse) and Matthew Swinney of Morris, Hannah (Newhouse) and Jeff Johnson of Alberta, James Newhouse of Houston, Texas, Kathryn Newhouse of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, Chelsea Evenson of Kansas City, Kansas, Jacey (Evenson) and Brandon Curry of Surprise, Arizona, Kendra (TeBrake) and Terry Ahrenholz of Prinsburg, Kourtney (TeBrake) and Lucas Schwitters of Clara City, Isaiah TeBrake of St. Paul, Gage TeBrake of Raymond, Hailey Larson of Rockford, Illinois, Reed Larson, Tigabu Larson, Mattea Larson, Desalech Larson and Abenezer Larson, all of Willmar MN; and eleven great-grandchildren: Arianna Morris, Anderson John Morris, Liam Swinney, Patrick Swinney, Alexander Newhouse, Audrey Newhouse, Theodore Newhouse, Gregory Newhouse, Kaedra Johnson, Teagan Johnson, and Easton Ahrenholz.  Also surviving is one brother, Eugene (and Anna) Beekman of Blomkest, besides other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Debra Newhouse; one grandson, Andrew Newhouse; one granddaughter, Elizabeth Newhouse; one great-granddaughter, Myra Ahrenholz; his parents; one sister, Darlene Beekman; two brothers, Daniel Beekman and Dale Beekman; and one sister-in-law, Irma Beekman.

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