His free spirit and longing for adventure led him down many paths during his early years, which included construction, sales, window installation, and a few years as a flight attendant. He then was a CNC operator and pattern maker and he worked for Coors Distributing in Denver as a merchandiser. But the career he was most proud of was his 15 years with Kearney Police Department as a Certified Property and Evidence Specialist, which he did until his retirement in 2020.

Den’s Humor would light up any room he was in. He was a social butterfly who could and would talk to anyone about anything and every person he met was an immediate friend. Through his life he was an avid skier, softball player, dart thrower, dirt bike rider, and partier. In his later years he settled down (but not really) in his beautiful home of 21 years overlooking Summer Haven Lake near Kearney, NE. Dennis swore by the three H’s of his life- holidays (which meant parties), happy hours, and the HUSKERS!

Dennis was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and good friend to so many. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Michele Hill; son, Mason (Cassie) Hill of Stanton, NE; daughter, Madison (Alex) Schumacher of Omaha, NE; sister, Dollie Benac of Lincoln, NE; brothers, Norm (Terri) Hill of Dover-Foxcroft, ME, Tom (Sue) Hill of Freedom, PA; grandchildren, Maverick, Hudson, Tenley, and Landrie Hill, whom he loved dearly; and many loving nieces and nephews. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by Neil Shipferling, his nephew and lifelong friend whom he loves as a son; and Bailey Pittner, who held a daughter’s place in his heart.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ted Hill; and brother-in-law, Larry Benac.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 11 AM, at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 “O” St., Lincoln.

Memorials may be donated to the family for future charitable donation.

The Memorial Service will be livestreamed HERE

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Tina graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School, Class of 1980. She then attended Union College in Lincoln, receiving a commercial art degree. She was a very talented, but humble, artist.  Those fortunate to see her various pieces were amazed at the detail and emotion she put into her work.

Although her subsequent adult life was not in commercial art, the traits of a good artist carried through her professional career.  Her last employment was at Assurity Life Insurance Company in Lincoln, with a tenure of nearly 25  years.  She was loved and respected by all who knew her.

Her personal life was filled with close friends and two 4-legged children, Pepper and Cinnamon. (They are available for adoption if anyone needs 2 loving, loyal companions.)  Girls nights and trips were frequent occasions for relaxing and fun.

Tina is survived by: brother John (Deena) Slama of Clever, MO; brother Roger Slama of Lincoln, NE; nephew Robert Slama of Thousand Oaks, CA; niece Ann (Brian) Bulik of Fargo, ND; niece Kathryn (Ray) Ruotolo of Sherman Oaks, CA; grand nephew Nico Ruotolo;  and other extended family.

A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will take place at Wyuka Funeral Home in Lincoln, NE in January of 2026.  The exact date and time will be available ASAP on the Wyuka website. In lieu of flowers, donations to Disabled American Veterans (DAV), American Cancer Society (ACS); or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) would be appreciated.

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Carol was born on June 26, 1958, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Oscar and Shirley Wood. She will be remembered for the love she had for her family, the warmth she shared with others, and the joy she found in the simple things in life.

Carol deeply loved her family and especially her grandkids. She cherished having everyone together for the holidays; Christmas and the Fourth of July were her favorites. She loved grilling and cooking for the whole family on the Fourth, and she always had her beloved smoke balls ready to go.

We will forever remember the love she had for her family and her puppies. If the world ever went downhill, she, Randy, and the puppies had enough canned goods and nonperishables to stay stocked for months. Carol kept her life organized with care and precision, always making sure her bill book was perfectly up to date. She single-handedly kept Mead Five Star notebooks in business. One of her signature quirks was her famous Mead notebooks. She wrote down everything: finances, bills, receipts, and who knows what else. By the time she finished with it, the book was more than six inches thick and filled with the story of her everyday life.

Carol is survived by her husband, Randy; her children, Jennifer, Stephanie, and Mathew; her brother, David Wood; her grandchildren, Elizabeth, Ian, Olivia, Nic, Aidan, William, Tyler, and Kylie; and her great-grandchildren, Mercer, McQueen, Ozzy, Jose, and Lainey. She is also survived by many extended family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Susan Zoucha; and her brother, Jim Wood.

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 “O” St., Lincoln, NE 68510. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.

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Nancy Jean Mook, devoted wife, mother, daughter, grandmother (“Nana”), sister, and aunt, passed away peacefully on December 2, 2025, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Born in Lincoln on August 30, 1935, to Maurice (Cliff) and Ruth Clifford (Bobst), Nancy graduated from Northeast High School in 1955. She continued her education at Nebraska Wesleyan University where she was affiliated with Delta Zeta sorority. On November 27, 1957, she married Robert. Nancy was employed with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce until 1960. She later worked tirelessly to support the family real estate appraisal business.

Throughout her life, Nancy was known for her warmth, compassion, and unwavering support of her family. She demonstrated dedication to her loved ones through her presence and care; cherishing time spent with family and finding joy in everyday moments. Her commitment as a mother and “Nana” was evident in her deep involvement in her grandchildren’s lives.

Nancy had a passion for reading, with a particular fondness for biographies and Nebraska and Lincoln history. She relished the thrill of book shopping; always on the lookout for the perfect book to add to her collection or for gifts to share her passion with her family and especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Nancy is survived by her husband of sixty-eight years, Robert; sons Brian (Joni) Mook (Lincoln, NE), Allen (Cynthia) Mook (Plano, TX), and Andrew (Kim) Mook (Lincoln, NE), and *Rachael (Jared) Brown as well as by her eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She is fondly remembered by her extended family and friends, including sister-in-law Sue Clifford, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and others.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Gary Clifford, and sisters-in-law and their spouses Evelyn (Bud) Smith and Marilyn (Duane) Everett.

The family appreciates cards and respectfully asks that no flowers or memorial donations be sent. A service and Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date.

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George Edgar Mitchell

Born in Great Bend, Kansas, on August 5, 1943, to Marvin and Roxie (Purcell) Mitchell. George grew up hunting, fishing, and reading voraciously, finishing every book in his school and local libraries by eighth grade.

A lifelong educator, George earned advanced degrees in mathematics and business and spent the majority of his career at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota, where he served as a professor and later as Academic Dean. After retiring in 2007, the family relocated to Malcolm, Nebraska.

George leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, and integrity. He is survived by his wife, Risë (Kaylor); his three children—John; Stephanie and son-in-law James; and Joseph and daughter-in-law Christine; and his eight beloved grandchildren: Grant, Laurel, Kjirsten, Nick, Reid, Alex, Maddie, and Brooklyn. He also leaves behind dozens of nieces and nephews, sisters and brothers-in-law, and his dear friend and companion, Truman the cat.

A celebration of George’s life will be held at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1014 N 6th St, Seward, Nebraska. Memorials to the family for further designation.

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Kevin grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was proud to be a Havelock native. He found joy in riding motorcycles—especially his Harley—and loved camping, woodworking, and tackling any project that needed fixing or remodeling. A true homebody at heart, he spent many years restoring the farmhouse where he lived for 21 years.

Kevin had a deep passion for helping others. As a long-time member of Narcotics Anonymous, he dedicated more than 30 years to supporting people in their recovery journeys. He cherished time spent with friends, whether sharing a good cup of coffee or enjoying a meal together.

A skilled marksman, Kevin looked forward each year to competing in the Lincoln Trap and Skeet League. Shooting with his longtime team brought him great pride, and together they earned several Division III championship titles.

Kevin worked for Constructors Inc. in Lincoln for 29 years, retiring on December 1, 2021. He also served his country with pride as a member of the United States Army from 1980 to 1983.

Above all, Kevin loved being with his wife Lori, his dog-Blue, family, friends, and especially his grandchildren, whose events he rarely missed. His kindness, generosity, and steady thoughtfulness touched the lives of many.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Lori; dog, Blue Boy Conover; stepson, Mike (Heather) Heatherly; stepdaughter, Terra (Jim) Peters; grandchildren, Taylor, Ivan, Maddison, Lillian, and Emrys; brother, Michael (Linda) Conover; sister, Shannon (Wayne) Inouye; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Celebration of Kevin’s Life will be held Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11 AM, at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 “O” Street, Lincoln. A private family burial will take place at a later date. Memorials may be donated to the family for future designation.

Kevin’s Celebration of Life will be livestreamed HERE

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Bob grew up in a close-knit family and attended Randolph and Sheridan Elementary Schools, Irving Junior High, and Lincoln High School, graduating with the Class of 1955. Bob cherished his years at Lincoln High, where he made lifelong friends and proudly played on the 1955 State Championship football team. That team, remembered for its heart and grit, was later inducted into both the Lincoln High Athletic Hall of Fame and the Nebraska State Athletic Hall of Fame— honors that Bob never forgot.

In addition to football, Bob spent his high school summers playing American Legion baseball with the Lincoln Optimists. The highlight came in 1955 when the team advanced to the national finals and was flown to Minneapolis—a thrilling adventure for a group of teenagers. They finished as national runners-up after a hard-fought 1–0 loss on a wild pitch, a memory Bob loved retelling throughout his life.

Bob attended the University of Nebraska before pausing his studies to serve his country in the U.S. Navy. He spent almost all of his four years of service in San Diego. Hoping to escape the crowded life aboard an LST (landing ship, tank), he auditioned for the Navy’s newly formed vocal ensemble, The Chanteymen. He earned a coveted place in the group, traveling the country to perform at military events, civic celebrations, and special engagements. Highlights included performing for the King of Greece, appearing at the Beverly Hills Hotel where he met Bob Hope, and singing on The Ed Sullivan Show. These years remained among his fondest memories.

After returning home, Bob completed his degree at Nebraska Wesleyan University and later earned his Master of Education from the University of Northern Colorado. His early career took him to Denver, where he taught special education and touched the lives of many students. He later transitioned into sales with 3M, working in both Denver and San Francisco before returning to Lincoln.

Back in Lincoln, Bob resumed teaching at Prescott Elementary. It was there that he met Catherine Stump, the love of his life. They married and built a joyful, devoted partnership centered on kindness, humor, and a deep commitment to family. Bob was immensely proud to become a father to their daughter, Amy. He eventually returned to sales, where he worked until his retirement in 2002.

Service to others remained at the heart of Bob’s life. He served on the boards of the Capitol Humane Society, Sertoma, and Cedars Home for Children, giving generously his time and talents to causes he believed in. In retirement, he embraced roles at Legacy Retirement Communities and Wyuka Funeral Home and Cemetery, where he found meaning in connecting with families and supporting people through important life moments. His favorite retirement role, however, may have been volunteering as a train conductor at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo—a position that combined his love of children, animals, and friendly conversation.

Family was Bob’s greatest joy. He adored his granddaughters, Annie and Emma, and was a devoted part of their daily lives. He proudly chauffeured them to choir practice, school events, and later to their college jobs as pages at the Nebraska Legislature. Time spent with them—laughing, talking, and simply being present—was one of the great treasures of his life.

Bob was also a lifelong lover of animals, sharing his home with many rescued dogs and cats over the years. His four greyhounds held a particularly special place in his heart. His passion for animals extended to the natural world, and he supported numerous conservation efforts, national parks, and organizations dedicated to protecting wildlife.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Karen Harrington, and his brother-in-law Tom Harrington.

Bob is survived by his wife of 55 years Catherine and daughter Amy (Tim) Himes, along with their family who deeply cherished him, including grandchildren Annie, Emma, Tim Jr (Sara), Chris Himes.  Additionally, nieces Terri Harrington, Heidi (Rick) Hammond, Abbi (Kurt) Kleinschmidt, and Jenni Harrington (Mike Newton), many great nieces and nephews; brother-in-law Art Blackman and sister-in-law Susan Blackman, their children Art Jr. (Sarah), Jeff (Sue), Lincoln (Lori), Sunny Blackman and their children. Also, sons Richard (Kellie) Dean, Kevin (Sandy) Dean, their children Kacie (Cameron) Simmons and Tyler Dean.

A memorial service to honor Bob will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 19, 2025, at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 “O” Street, Lincoln.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Lincoln High School Athletics, 2229 J St., Lincoln, NE 68510 or Camp Kitaki, c/o Jason Smith, Executive Director, 14917 East Park Highway, Louisville, NE 68037.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ymcacampkitaki/

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JoAnn is survived by her partner, George Hildreth; her three children, Jordon Brown (Taylor Bellew), Jasmine Voss (Ryan), and Jayden Brown; and her five grandchildren, Myah Brown, Jordon Brown, Timothy Voss, Vada Voss, and one grandchild on the way. She is also survived by her siblings, Billy Brown, Jerry Brown, Jeff Brown, Jody Brown, John Brown, Jerald Brown, Judy Brown, Jason Brown, Jackie Brown, and Jeremy Brown.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William Brown and Patricia Brown; and her siblings, Kathy Wilcoxen, Jimmy Brown, and Julie Brown.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 O Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. Funeral services will take place at Wyuka Funeral Home on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

JoAnn’s memory will forever remain in the hearts of her family, her partner, and all who loved her.

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Service will be held on 11/20/2025, at Indian Hills Community Church at 11:00.

Mary Ann Van Gent was born on July 30, 1932, on a farm near Adams, Nebraska. The farms she grew up on did not have running water or electricity until she was in high school. In her teen years Mary Ann and brother Dale attended youth group at the Baptist Church in Adams. During their time there they learned about Salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior and lived with and for him the rest of their lives. Mary Ann graduated from Adams High School in 1949. She taught school for four years in a one room schoolhouse. She met the love of her life Don Hill in 1952. They married on October 23, 1953, and settled in Lincoln Nebraska. Don and Mary Ann owned and operated many successful small businesses – Handyman Hardware, Lincoln Lock and Cycle, Lincoln Schwinn (their main business) and Self-Storage. They retired in 1993 and moved to Colorado. They had a vacation home in Woodland Park, Colorado and enjoyed many years vacationing there. They entertained their children and friends starting in 1983 for hiking, biking, skiing, and having many fun times.

in 1994 they moved back to Nebraska and settled in a house on a lake in South Bend, Nebraska. They moved from South Bend to Papillion to be near their daughter Julie’s family. They later followed Julie’s family to Gretna. The house in Gretna was her final residence.

Mary Ann loved her family and would do anything for us. She liked gardening and all the houses she lived in had large flower gardens. She was an avid Nebraska football fan all of her adult life. Mary Ann and Don enjoyed traveling. They combined their love of Nebraska football and travel and frequently traveled to away football games and attended numerous Nebraska bowl games with their family. Mary Ann and Don began attending Indian Hills Community Church in 1982. This was so important to their lives to continue learning about the Father God and Jesus our Savior. They enjoyed Prime Time Sunday School, Bible Study at the Dallmann’s home and Branson Trips for fellowship with like Believers.

Funeral services for Mary Ann will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 20, 2025, at Indian Hills Community Church, 1000 S. 84th Street, Lincoln. Viewing one hour prior to service. Mary Ann will be long remembered for her love and kindness to everyone. She will be sorely missed. She is Joyfully at peace with her Lord and Savior.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Indian Hills Community Church or The American Liver Foundation.

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1930-2025

C. Arlen Beam, a onetime seed corn salesman who completed law school when he was 35 years old and later went on to serve for almost 40 years as a federal judge, first at the District Court level in Nebraska and later as a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, died Oct. 31 in Lincoln. He was 95.

At the time of his death, Judge Beam was living at The Landing, a senior living community in Lincoln. His wife of 74 years, Betty, had passed away in May.

A public memorial service to celebrate the lives of Judge Beam and Betty is planned for noon on Friday, Nov. 21, at Eastridge Presbyterian Church, 1135 Eastridge Drive, in Lincoln. Burial will be private.

During his tenure with the federal courts, Judge Beam wrote more than 2,700 opinions on a wide range of legal issues.  Those issues included several that were politically sensitive, such as Kansas City’s school desegregation plan in the 1990s; a sexual harassment lawsuit involving President Bill Clinton while he was governor of Arkansas; and the viability of federal drug laws criminalizing medical marijuana in California.

Other cases presented equally thorny legal questions but attracted less public attention, such as an antitrust case involving an alleged conspiracy by fertilizer manufacturers to fix potash prices; legal disputes involving Native American tribes that addressed questions of tribal sovereignty; and a case that set criteria for denying benefits under retirement and health plans regulated by the federal government.

President Ronald Reagan had appointed Judge Beam to the federal District Court in 1981, assuming a position vacated by Robert V. Denney, a former Republican congressman who had represented Nebraska’s First District in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Reagan then elevated Judge Beam to the Eighth Circuit appeals court in 1987.

In 2001, Judge Beam assumed senior status with the Eighth Circuit, which is roughly akin to taking semi-retirement, although for almost two additional decades he continued to participate in the three-judge panels that do much of the work of the federal appeals courts. He moved to inactive status in 2020.

Prior to taking the federal bench, Judge Beam had a successful law practice in Lincoln, specializing in trial work and lobbying. He had long been active in Republican Party politics, and for a time in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Judge Beam was an informal legal adviser to Charles Thone, who had been a Republican congressman representing Nebraska’s First District before becoming governor in 1979.

Thone, who died in 2018, was pivotal in advocating for Judge Beam’s appointment to the federal District Court. At a 2001 ceremony honoring Judge Beam’s service, Thone recalled taking a call from a staff member of the Reagan Administration’s Justice Department, asking the then-governor to provide three names to consider for Denney’s court vacancy.

“Yeah, I’ll give you three names,” Thone said. “The first is C. Arlen Beam. The second is C.A. Beam. The third is Arlen Beam.” Reagan went on to nominate Judge Beam for the District Court vacancy, which was in Omaha. The U.S. Senate confirmed him in November 1981, and he took the bench in January 1982.

Judge Beam and Betty moved to Omaha until he was appointed to the Eighth Circuit about six years later, at which point they relocated back to Lincoln, where Judge Beam maintained his principal chambers in the Robert V. Denney Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse until taking inactive status.

A career that carried Clarence Arlen Beam to one of the highest courts in the nation was not anything he had contemplated while growing up in Nebraska’s Sandhills in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

He was born on January 14, 1930, in Stapleton, a community of about 350 residents that is the seat of Logan County. His mother, Cecil, was a schoolteacher and his father, also named Clarence, was a farmer, rancher and rural mail carrier. Through most of his life, Arlen chose to go by his middle name to avoid confusion with his father. He was the third eldest of four children. His older sisters, Mercedes and Donna Jean, and his younger brother, Charles, all preceded him in death.

Arlen’s experiences growing up in a closeknit farming and ranching community remained central to whom he became as an adult. He decorated his courthouse offices with photos, paintings and sculptures with Western Nebraska motifs, and he favored cowboy boots when the occasion was appropriate.  Until his death, he subscribed to the Stapleton Enterprise, the town’s weekly newspaper.

After finishing high school in Stapleton in 1947, as part of a class of just 14 students, Arlen headed to Lincoln to attend the University of Nebraska. As he later explained in a short oral history for Creighton University, his mother had been “bound and determined” that he and his siblings would continue their education. “It was given early on,” he explained, “that we’d go to college. She was a teacher.”

He earned a Regents scholarship to NU, along with a grant from the Union Pacific Railroad and a stipend from KFAB Radio for winning a 4-H public speaking contest. That was not enough to pay all his expenses, so he lined up three part-time jobs in Lincoln and began a dual-degree program in agronomy and agricultural journalism. He joined the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, which was near NU’s East Campus, where most of the university’s agriculture programs were located.

Toward the conclusion of his undergraduate studies, Arlen took a job as a feature writer for the Nebraska Farmer magazine. That permitted him to travel the state, to pay college expenses, and, as important, to buy wedding rings so that he could marry his sweetheart, Betty Lou Fletcher. She was an NU student whom he had started dating after meeting her at a campus event in November 1950.

They married in July 1951 at a small Presbyterian church in Lincoln, just after Arlen had finished his bachelor’s degree. By September of that year, the newlyweds were headed to a U.S. Army training center in Aberdeen, MD, where Arlen would begin military service that eventually would take him to the Korean Peninsula as a combat engineer.

In late March 1952, Betty gave birth to their first son, in Aberdeen, and a few weeks later, Arlen embarked from Seattle for his military assignment in Asia. Betty returned to Lincoln with their newborn to live with her parents, and she remained there during Arlen’s deployment.

Arlen recalled that he and Betty wrote each other letters every day during the time that he was in Korea. Sometimes, if Arlen knew that he would not be able to send Betty a letter for a few days, he would write several in advance and have an Army clerk mail one each day.

After almost two years on active duty, first in Maryland and then Korea, Arlen returned to the United States in August 1953. Betty met him at Fort Carson, CO, where he was discharged from active duty into the Army Reserves. (He remained in the Army Reserves until 1964, ending his military service at the rank of captain.) Arlen and Betty traveled back to Lincoln, and in September 1953, Arlen started law school at the University of Nebraska – a career path that he had settled on while away on active duty.

After only a year, though, a health problem of Betty’s led him to withdraw from law school. He took a job with Steckley Hybrid Corn Co., which was based in Lincoln. He would work for Steckley for about the next 10 years, first selling seed corn to farmers in Iowa and Illinois but eventually returning to a job at the company headquarters in Lincoln.

In 1963, Steckley agreed to merge with another agribusiness corporation, and Arlen decided that he wanted to finish the law degree that he had started 10 years earlier, rather than relocate with Steckley to Iowa. But was that possible? A conversation he had with the dean of the NU School of Law led to an accommodation that allowed Arlen to pick up where he had left off, so he resumed his legal studies at NU in fall of 1963.

By this time, his and Betty’s family had grown to five boys. To earn money as he embarked on the final two years of law school, they set up an advertising and public relations business in Lincoln. He became active in local Republican Party politics, and in 1964 managed Sen. Barry Goldwater’s Nebraska presidential campaign while attending law school full time.

After completing his law degree in 1965 and passing the bar exam, he joined the Lincoln firm of Chambers, Holland & Dudgeon, quickly earning a partnership. In 1971, he helped merge that firm with another in Lincoln to form Knudsen, Berkheimer, Endacott & Beam. His formal association with Knudsen, Berkheimer ended in late 1981, when he was confirmed to the position on the federal District Court.

When Judge Beam began his tenure with the federal courts, he ended his political involvements but nonetheless remained active with the local and state bar associations, as well as with other legal and civic organizations. He was a lifetime member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, and he took on various administrative or policy roles within the federal court system.

For decades, has was an active member of Lincoln Downtown Rotary Club #14, once traveling to South America as part of a delegation from Rotary International. He also was a member of Shriners International and was a master Mason with the North Star Lodge #227 in Nebraska.

Judge Beam’s religious faith was a central aspect of the life he and Betty established.  Through the years, he and Betty attended various Presbyterian churches in Lincoln and Omaha. At the time of his death, he was a member of Eastridge Presbyterian Church. Though declining health had prevented him from attending Eastridge services in recent years, he participated regularly in the nondenominational services at The Landing.

His heath challenges also ended two longtime passions. He and Betty were members of the Lincoln Country Club, which afforded him the chance to play golf regularly for many years. Unlike so many of his other pursuits, golf was not something at which he excelled naturally, but he enjoyed the game nonetheless.

Another love was jogging, which is something he did almost daily until he was in his late 80s, even while away on business trips. A typical outing was 5 miles or so, and usually he was on his own. In bad weather, he would resort to a treadmill that he installed in the basement of his Lincoln home. From time to time, a fall produced skinned knees and elbows, and on one occasion scrapes on his face. Despite Betty’s urging that he find a recreational pursuit less likely to result in a broken limb, he remained undeterred.

Judge Beam was an extrovert, and he cherished the relationships that he developed with friends, associates, neighbors – and even a taxi driver whom he hired regularly when he and his staff traveled to St. Louis on court business. He was particularly proud of his association with his trusted judicial assistant, Gini Russell. He hired her in 1979 while in private practice, and they continued to work together until he closed his judicial offices in 2020.

Federal judges typically hire law school graduates as “clerks,” mostly for a year or two, to assist with legal research, to help draft opinions, and to take on other tasks for the courts. A federal judicial clerkship is competitive and prestigious, and many tend to go to graduates of law schools with high national rankings.

Judge Beam, who had 67 clerks during his time on the bench, made a point of seeking out candidates from Midwestern law schools, observing on more than one occasion that he considered the top graduates of those schools just as capable as students from the more prominent universities that tend to dominate hiring for federal clerkships.

Through the years, his clerks held Judge Beam in equally high regard as a mentor and legal thinker. At a 2001 ceremony marking the unveiling of Judge Beam’s portrait at the federal courthouse in Omaha, Moira White Kennedy spoke for current and former clerks.

“Years ago, when we accepted our positions in Judge Beam’s chambers, we were excited at the prospect of working for the Eighth Circuit and for Judge Beam,” White Kennedy said, “but we had no idea what an honor we were in for, not only because of the nature of the job but because of the nature of the judge.”

Two decades later, similar sentiments were voiced in a personal note that one of Judge Beam’s last two clerks, Kris Brenneis, sent to him upon taking inactive status. (Judge Beam had hired Brenneis and Amy Vyhlidal as permanent clerks during his tenure on senior status, and they worked with him for many years.) “Quite simply,” Brenneis wrote, “you are a remarkable, multifaceted man who is as enamored with listening to the symphony as you are with explaining different breeds of cattle to your unlearned clerks.”

His clerks and colleagues likely would agree that important hallmarks of Judge Beam’s approach to the law – and to life generally – were to treat others respectfully and, above all else, to understand thoroughly a situation, a set of options, or an issue before proceeding. One of his favorite aphorisms was “out of an abundance of caution,” a phrase that he would sprinkle liberally into conversations almost any time that he was offering advice or warnings to his sons, to his clients, to his law clerks.

Indeed, at the 2001 portrait ceremony, Judge Beam’s friend and former law partner, Larry Ruth, recalled often hearing the judge advise that “out of an abundance of caution, we need to thoroughly research this issue.” Ruth then turned to the judge and added: “I don’t know why it is, Judge, but it’s the law clerks that seem to be laughing mostly!”

Judge Beam is survived by his sons and their spouses Randy Beam and Jerry Baldasty of Seattle; Jim Beam of Rockford, IL; Tom and Debbie Beam of Littleton, CO; Brad Beam of Lincoln, and Greg and Flora Beam of Everett, WA; four granddaughters; two great-grandchildren; and 11 nieces and nephews.

En lieu of flowers or other gifts, the Beam family encourages donations to the Eastridge Presbyterian Church Food Pantry, 1135 Eastridge Drive, Lincoln, NE 68510.

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