Jim Beck, Centralia, will be celebrating his 80th birthday with an open house 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday at his home, 1220 S. Scheuber Road.
Beck was born Sept. 21, 1938, in Kelso.
Beck married Margaret Ferguson on Sept. 1, 1962, in Woodland. The couple honeymooned at the Seattle World’s Fair and then camped at the Dosewallips campground in Olympic National Park.
They have lived in this area since 1968 except for four years, when they lived in Hana, Maui, Hawaii.
Both graduated from Washington State University in 1963.
Jim was a vocational agriculture teacher at Auburn High School for four years, Onalaska High School for seven years, Centralia High School for 18 years and in Hana, Hawaii for four years.
He was an FFA adviser for 33 years and on the Southwest Washington Fair fat stock committee for 20 years. He was a charter member of the Onalaska Lions, and also a member of Centralia Lions, the Centralia Vocational Agriculture Advisory Committee, the Grange for 55 years and the state Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. Jim enjoys morning coffee with friends at McDonald’s and afternoon groups.
In 2014, he was named to the state Department of Agriculture fair commission.
The Becks have three children: Jennifer Beck, Oakland, California; Jonathan (Heidi) Beck, Clinton; and David Beck, Centralia.
They have two grandchildren, Cameron and Moira Beck.
