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• Worker drowns in Woodbridge canal

• Bernel found guilty

• Battle for the board

• Man, 72, dies after Acampo crash

• Regional Roundup

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (149)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (65)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (55)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (46)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (22)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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Bidding on Beckman

One of Lodi's native sons left behind a legacy of smiles and a bit of history

Lodi lost a colorful piece of its history when Charlie Beckman died in the beginning of 2008. But in his passing, Beckman left an almost-archaelogical inventory of his life, including a pie safe, a painting by a local artist and antique clocks and radios.

Charlie Beckman

Now it's all for sale.

Many recall Charlie Beckman as an affable farmer, a lifelong bachelor — and a man who loved beans.

On Sunday, Ogren's Auction house in Lodi will be putting Beckman's vast and eclectic estate up for sale.

In the 1850s, the Beckman family came to the United States from the central part of Germany. A majority of the clan eventually settled in Lodi, when they realized how deep and fertile the soil was here. Beckman's parents were among those who planted their roots, and he was born in 1918.

Beckman's parents built their ranch on Kettleman Lane in 1926, and the house — which eventually became Beckman's — is still standing. Many pass the brick home on the corner of Kettleman and Beckman Road every day.

As Beckman and his brother Bill grew up, they helped to work the surrounding farmland. While Bill Beckman became a stock broker, Charlie Beckman stayed in agriculture, never marrying and becoming known around his beloved Lodi for his overalls and good-hearted nature.

"All the restaurants knew him, and people didn't think he had a nickel," said local historian Ralph Lea.

Most who knew Charlie Beckman knew of his devout faith and ethical approach to life.

Since Charlie Beckman never took a bride, and never had children of his own, the responsibility of the property went to his niece, Marcia Beckman.

Calvin Ogren, owner of Ogren's Auction, met Charlie Beckman about the same time Ogren set up shop in Lodi, around 14 years ago. Ogren got to know the friendly farmer quite well, so there's a special significance in this Sunday's auction.

"Charlie was such a neat guy," Ogren said, while reviewing the almost infinite items from the Beckman home.

Ogren studied boxes of glassware made by the Libby Glass plant. The boxes have never been opened.

When Charlie Beckman's parents died, he left their rooms as they were, a museum-like state. The beds and bedroom sets (possibly constructed in the '40s) are available to become a part of another family's history.

And not far from the Winchester rifles, ammo and fishing poles is the delicately painted Chintz tea cup and saucer, with a unique design that appeals to a wide range of china collectors.

Yet it's not the stuff found throughout the auction house that Ogren will remember his friend Charlie Beckman for. It's the stuff that set the bachelor apart that Ogren will remember.

"He loved beans. Charlie would tell me all the ways he could cook beans, and wanted me to come over for dinner some time," Ogren said, smiling at the memory. How much did Charlie Beckman love beans? "He always wanted to open a bean restaurant."

One could say Charlie Beckman, as well as his parents, loved to cook in general, as Marcia Beckman found 5,000 categorized recipes.

Perhaps the items that defined Charlie Beckman and the history of the Beckman family more than the antique clocks and radios, the 1930s Heywood Wakefield chair or oil-on-canvas painting by Lodi's own Laurence Hosmer were the tools.

Every year, Charlie Beckman added more and more tools to his already bursting barn. So many that Ogren's will be having a second auction on Oct. 30 just for the "Mr. Tokay" grape crates, sorting tables, the pie safe (used for cooling pies in the old days) and myriad of other agricultural items.

Still, it's the gentle, community-conscious spirit and affable personality that people will remember Charlie Beckman for the most.

"Charlie was one of a kind," Lea said.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.