07/31/2026
Kenneth “Andy” Beckman
November 21, 1946 – July 28, 2026
Kenneth “Andy” Beckman, 79, of Wabash, Indiana, passed away at his residence at 7:52 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Known to generations of visitors to Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation as “Ranger Andy,” he officially began working at the historic site on June 30, 1990. His last day at Hofwyl was October 24, 2021, concluding more than 31 years of dedicated service.
Andy led an unusual, varied, and remarkable life. He was born Kenny Schieber on November 21, 1946, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Because of an uncertain family situation, he spent part of his childhood in an orphanage and later at Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. He was eventually adopted and raised by Wally and Ruth Beckman.
Andy attended the University of Nebraska, where he played clarinet in the Nebraska Marching Band. One of his favorite memories was performing at the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1971, when Nebraska defeated LSU 17–12.
Later that year, Andy joined the United States Army. He served from 1971 to 1975 during the Vietnam War as a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces, spending much of his service in Thailand.
After leaving the Army, Andy spent several years, as he described it, “trying to find himself.” During that period, he worked in a wide variety of occupations, including as a welder, telephone installer, newspaper delivery driver, and dairy worker in Michigan. Among the many skills and types of training he listed on his résumé were spelunking, or caving; bartending; real estate sales; first aid; and defensive driving.
In 1987, Andy made a decision that changed the course of his life: he resolved to hike the Appalachian Trail. He began his journey in Georgia in May and, by the end of October, had completed the approximately 2,139-mile trek to Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Near the beginning of the hike, while passing through Vogel State Park in north Georgia, Andy happened to meet the wife of the park manager. She suggested that, once he completed the trail, he should contact her husband about a job. Andy followed her advice, and in May 1988 he was hired as a part-time naturalist and interpretive park ranger at Vogel State Park.
In June 1990, Andy transferred to Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site near Brunswick, Georgia, where he would spend the next three decades. During those years, he greeted and guided thousands of visitors, introducing them to the history of the plantation, its families, and the generations of people whose lives were connected to the property.
Most visitors knew Andy for his tours of the plantation house, but nature was his true love. A self-taught naturalist, he possessed an extraordinary knowledge of the plants, birds, animals, and landscapes of Hofwyl-Broadfield’s 1,264 acres. He could identify seemingly every tree, flower, bird, and living creature on the property.
Andy carefully recorded his observations in extensive notes and created hand-drawn maps showing where different species could be found. These records remain an important part of Hofwyl-Broadfield’s files and are a lasting testament to his curiosity, patience, and love of the natural world. Even after his retirement, former coworkers continued to call him for help identifying trees, flowers, birds, and other plants and animals.
Andy retired in 2021 and returned to Indiana, where he purchased a home on the same street where he had lived as a child. He was a member of Laketon Wesleyan Church and also served as a member of the church board.
Andy is survived by his sister, Bev Burlington of Decatur, Illinois; and two nephews, Chris Pen*sten of Wabash, Indiana, and Rex Betts of Southern California. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wally and Ruth Beckman.
Graveside services will be held at Falls Cemetery, with Pastor Duncan Prior officiating. McDonald Funeral Homes, 231 Falls Avenue, Wabash, Indiana, has been entrusted with Andy’s final arrangements.
Andy’s remarkable journey carried him from Fort Wayne to Boys Town, from the University of Nebraska to military service in Thailand, along the entire Appalachian Trail, and ultimately to Hofwyl-Broadfield. For more than three decades, he shared his knowledge, humor, curiosity, and deep appreciation for nature with generations of visitors and coworkers.
Ranger Andy became an enduring part of Hofwyl-Broadfield’s history. His knowledge is preserved in the notes and maps he left behind, but his greatest legacy lives in the memories of the many people who learned from him, worked beside him, and had the privilege of knowing him. He will be deeply missed.
https://www.mcdonaldfunerals.com/obituaries/kenneth-beckman
