Leonard Mike Becwar

1924 - 2008  (83 years)

• Name	Leonard Mike Becwar  [1, 2, 3]
  Birth	22 Aug 1924	Exeter, Fillmore County, Nebraska   [2, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Death	2 Mar 2008	Friend, Saline County, Nebraska   [2, 5]
  Burial	5 Mar 2008	Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska   [5]
  Notes	Leonard was a farmer. He also worked in agricultural sales, being employed by Nebr-Kansas-Colorado Grain Company, A.C.E. Supply and Equipment, and later as factory manager at the Fairmount Air Base. After his parents retired, he moved back to the farm. In 1968, due to his failing eyesight, he purchased a tavern in Milligan. (Milligan, p 195). In Memory of Leonard M. Becwar From the Lauber-Moore Funeral Home, courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy Leonard Mike Becwar was born August 22, 1924 to Mike Becwar Jr and Mollie (Kuska) Becwar on a farm north of Milligan and passed away on Sunday, March 2, 2008 at the Friend Manor in Friend at the age of 83 years 6 months and 11 days. He attended rural school Dist #6 north of Milligan and graduated from Milligan High School in 1941 where he played the clarinet in the band. After graduation Leonard farmed with his father. On August 28, 1945, he was united in marriage to DeLores "Dee" Witfoth at the Methodist Parsonage in Friend and to this union three children, Kenneth, Dawn and Mark were born. They farmed south of Friend on DeLores's grandfather's farm. They moved to a farm 1/8 of a mile east of her folks, then to a farm south of Exeter and after two years they moved to Ohiowa. Leonard worked with the NKC Grain Company and NKC promoted him to Ace Supply at Fairmont. He soon was transferred to Salina KS with the Grain Co of Simpson, Laybourn, Miller and Stark. Leonard traveled for this company throughout Nebraska and Kansas. In 1958, he returned to Fairmont to manage the Ace Supply Co at the airbase. After a retina detachment, he moved to his parent's home place north of Milligan when they retired. While on the farm, he started a small musical combo consisting of his Uncle Frank Becwar on drums and Leonard on accordion. When Uncle Frank couldn't go to dance jobs, Leonard took his daughter Dawn or son Mark to drum. Leonard had always loved music and his father taught him to play the button accordion before he started to school, allowing him to play with his father at dances. Leonard and his cousin Ernie Becwar played at a talent contest and won a diamond ring which they gave to their cousin Darlene. They had the ring appraised and found it to be worth only $2.00... but were still happy they had won the contest. Because of poor eyesight, he learned to play instruments by ear and while in high school, his music teacher noted that he couldn't see the notes, but was an excellent musician and encouraged him to keep up the good work. His eyesight continued to fail and he purchased the LB Inn in Milligan where he enjoyed visiting with friends and hosting bands. After giving up his driver's license and he started a recording business "LB Tapes" and recorded combos and small groups. Successful eye surgery allowed him to regain his driver's license and he sold the bar and started his advertising business, selling for Zenith Pictorial and Waco Advertising. With this new vision also came his big band dream. The Leonard Becwar Orchestra "The LB Band" played for wedding and anniversary dances and more. All the members were treasured for their musical abilities and friendship. Leonard also sang with the Milligan Czech Brass Band for several years. At the Doane Czech Program, in his absence due to ill health, his chair was filled with a small black teddy bear donning a similar band vest and a tiny accordion with the Becwar name on it; a special gift and featured in the Lincoln Journal story. Leonard's love for polka music gained him a spot in the Polka Hall of Fame in Omaha NE and he also was a charter member of the Musicians' Hall of Fame at Milligan. After an invitation to sponsor a tour to the Oktoberfest in Munich Germany, Leonard and Dee started a tour business, arranging more than 90 tours with over 900 people over 20 years. Many of his home town people traveled with him to Czechoslovakia, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, along with sightseeing tours to Canada and most of the US. Polka tours covered Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho and Southern states. Leonard was a member and past Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias. He also belonged to the Milligan Community Club and enjoyed his part in organizing the Centennial Celebration of Milligan in 1988. He served on the Milligan Town Board, Milligan Fire & Rescue, and was a member of the Milligan United Methodist Church, later transferring to the Friend United Methodist Church. With his failing health, they sold their Milligan home in 2005 and moved to Friendship Terrace in Friend. Leonard was admitted to the Friend Manor on March 1, 2006 and he enjoyed participating in various activities. Leonard and his wife had enjoyed entertaining at the Friend Manor for several years and he often played his accordion while a resident the past two years. Highlights include members of his former band, Sue and Blue River Czechs, playing for the residents to celebrate his 82nd birthday, their 61st wedding anniversary. Leonard is survived by his wife, DeLores, Friend, daughter and son-in-law Dawn and Douglas Mundt, Crete, son, Mark Becwar, Lincoln, grandchildren, spouses and great grandchildren include Shannon and Shaun Mee and their children Autumn, Allison, Austin, Ashlyn and Aiden, Colorado Springs, CO, Jennifer Becwar and Matt Daringer and their children, Scoie and Cooper, Lincoln, Kamron Becwar, Seattle, WA, Chad and Keri Becwar and children Austin & Jordyn, Lincoln, Chandler Becwar, Wray, CO, Jarod and Stacey Mundt, Papillion, Julie and Jared Rohrs, Lincoln, and a host of other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mike and Mollie Becwar, son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth and Sandy Becwar, brother, LeRoy Becwar and parents in-law, Clarence and Bertha Witfoth. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at the Milligan Auditorium, with Rev. Paixao Baptista officiating. Interment in the Milligan Bohemian Cemetery. Visitation Tuesday from 1pm ? 9pm at Lauber-Moore Funeral Home with the family greeting relatives and friends from 4-6pm. Visitation also one hour before the service in Milligan. Memorials have been established to the Friend United Methodist Church, the Warren Memorial Hospital Foundation, or directed in care of the family. Pallbearers are Gayle Becwar, Glaen Kuska, Jon Halama, Wm. Slezak III, Roger Brandt and Steve Rodenbaugh. Honored Guests are anyone who played with The Becwar Band. Pianist, Deb Brunkow, accompanied the congregation as they sang "Because He Lives". Sue Underwood, Galen Beck, Kelly Homolka and Randy Korbelik played and sang "When Our Paths Meet" and "Pisnicka Ceska".
  Person ID	I3720	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2024

  
  

  Father	Matej "Mike" Becwar, Jr.,   b. 18 Feb 1898, Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska d. 17 May 1978, Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska (Age 80 years)
  Mother	Mollie Marie Kuska,   b. 10 Mar 1907, Ohiowa, Fillmore County, Nebraska d. 29 Jun 1973 (Age 66 years)
  Marriage	22 Aug 1922  [1]
  Family ID	F2139	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Delores "Dee" Eleanor Witfoth,   b. 11 Apr 1925, Friend, Saline County, Nebraska d. 2 May 2009, Crete, Saline County, Nebraska (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	28 Aug 1945	Friend, Saline County, Nebraska   [1, 6]
  Children	1. Kenneth LeRoy Becwar,   b. 3 Mar 1947, Friend, Saline County, Nebraska d. 1 Jun 1993 (Age 46 years)   2. Living   3. Living
  Family ID	F2138	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	25 May 2019

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 22 Aug 1924 - Exeter, Fillmore County, Nebraska Marriage - 28 Aug 1945 - Friend, Saline County, Nebraska Death - 2 Mar 2008 - Friend, Saline County, Nebraska Burial - 5 Mar 2008 - Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S219] Milligan Centennial History Book Committee HISTORY OF MILLIGAN, NEBRASKA 1888-1988 (Walsworth Publishing, Marceline, MO), p 195 (Reliability: 3). [S333] Ancestry.com - U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current [database online], (Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration Death Master File contains information on millions of deceased individuals with United States social security numbers whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Birth years for the individuals listed range from 1875 to last year. Information in these records includes name, birth date, death date, and last known residence.). [S26] Milligan Centennial History Book Committee, "Milligan Nebraska 1988-2008, Centennial Supplement Book", p. 109 (Reliability: 3). [S219] Milligan Centennial History Book Committee HISTORY OF MILLIGAN, NEBRASKA 1888-1988 (Walsworth Publishing, Marceline, MO), p 194 (Reliability: 3). [S26] Milligan Centennial History Book Committee, "Milligan Nebraska 1988-2008, Centennial Supplement Book", p. 110 (Reliability: 3). [S548] Belohlavy, Dennis (belohdb@windstream.net) "Family Tree of Dennis L. and Rebecca J. "Becky" (Arnold) Belohlavy ; http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=belohlavy, (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=belohlavy).