Delta Beelaert

Delta Beelaert, age 94, of O'Neill, passed away Saturday afternoon, April 6, 2013, at the Golden LivingCenter in Neligh.

Visitation was held on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, from 3-8 p.m., with a 7 p.m. parish rosary, at Biglin’s Mortuary in O'Neill.

A Mass of Christian burial was held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday,  April 10, 2013, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Ewing with Fr. Jim Kramper officiating. Music was provided by organist, Nancy Harpster and St. Peter's choir. 

Pallbearers were Jeff Beha, Dan Beha, Mark Beelaert, Brad Beelaert, Matt Hilderbrand and Mark Hilderbrand.

Burial was in St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in Ewing. 

Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill was in charge of arrangements. 

Delta was born Nov. 20, 1918, at O’Neill to Albertus and Katherine (Wettlaufer) Gunn. She attended the O’Neill Public Schools and graduated as valedictorian of her class in 1937.  

After attending Wayne State College on a scholarship for a brief period, she began working as a secretary for the Works Progress Administration in O’Neill, Hartington and Norfolk. She also worked in Portland, Maine for a short time during the war. When World War II began she transferred to the Lincoln Air Base as a memorandum receipt clerk. 

She married Alfons Beelaert, Jr. on Feb. 18, 1943, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Ewing.  Alfons was a BM 1/c in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945. After the war they lived on a farm five miles north of Ewing until Alfons' death on Oct. 21, 1973. She then moved to Orchard. She lived there for sixteen years before moving to O’Neill in 1990. 

Delta’s labor of love was researching family histories and printing them for her descendents. She was a longtime member of St. Peter de Alcantara Catholic Church of Ewing and its altar society. She was a permanent member of the American Legion  Auxiliary of Ewing Unit #214 and the state genealogical society. She is survived by four children: Barbara Beha and husband Jerry of Spirit Lake, Idaho, Mike Beelaert and wife Gail of Orchard, Jim Beelaert  of Morristown, TN, and Connie Hilderbrand and husband Mike of Gothenburg; 11 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one on the way; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Gunn of Lincoln and Marie Harper of Stuart; nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a grandson, Patrick Beha; a daughter-in-law, Cathy and two brothers, Fritz and Bob Gunn.

Memorials may be made to the St. Peter’s Cemetery Fund or O’Neill AseraCare Hospice.