Obituary of Martha Joan Boeckman

Martha Joan �Nan� Boeckman, age 85, passed away at her home in Camdenton, Missouri on Tuesday October 7, 2014. Martha Joan �Nan� Hilburn Boeckman entered this world on the October 21, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was the first of three children born to John D. Hilburn Sr. and Elizabeth Boese Hilburn. Nan graduated from Kansas City�s Southeast High School in 1945. She met her husband of sixty-six years, C.B. �Beck� Boeckman, in 1944 at the U.S. Army Medical Unit in Kansas City, MO. They were joined in marriage at the Paseo Presbyterian Church in Kansas City on August 29, 1947. In 1949 they opened Mar-Beck Appliance Service, Inc. in Kansas City and by the time of their retirement, the successful business had expanded to four locations. Not satisfied with the retired lifestyle, they relocated to the Lake of the Ozarks in 1978 to operate Empire Resort on the Little Niangua arm of the Lake until 1985. During their second attempt at retirement, Nan and Beck pursued their love of travel with trips across the U.S. in their motorhome and several adventures abroad. Beck preceded Nan in death earlier this year. Their marriage is remembered by friends and family as a true partnership in both love and business. Nan dedicated her life to the care of her daughter, Debra. As an advocate for the disabled, she was involved with numerous homes for the handicapped in both Kansas City and central Missouri. Nan had a lifelong love of music. She played the piano from a young age but is perhaps best remembered with an accordion in her arms. She was an immense source of love, joy, and laughter. Nan will be dearly missed by her family and friends. In addition to her husband, Nan was preceded in death by her brother, John D. Hilburn Jr. She is survived by her brother Grant Hilburn of Lake Quivira, Kanasas; her five children and their spouses: Debra Boeckman of Camdenton, Missouri; Jim and Linda Griffeth of Houston, Texas; David and Linda Boeckman of Camdenton, Missouri; Mark and Kathy Boeckman of Santa Clara, California; and Daniel and Gail Boeckman of Carterville, Illinois. Nan was proud to have twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.