Grand marshal profile: Mark and Laura Beck of Mt. Pleasant
6-27-2019
MT. PLEASANT—Lifetime residents of Mt. Pleasant, Mark and Laura Beck, owners of Beck’s Home Furnishings on Main Street, have been selected as the grand marshal of this year’s Mammoth Parade.
The Mammoth Parade is traditionally held on the Fourth of July each year. It is a highlight of the Hub City Days Celebration. The parade starts at 11:30 a.m. and is followed by a multitude of fun activities at the city park, a rodeo and fireworks.
The Becks are a perfect match as this year’s grand marshal as they bring a long and historical lineage to the area. Both Mark and Laura have lived in Mt. Pleasant all of their lives. Ancestors from each of their lines have lived in Mt. Pleasant since its original founding and names of several of their ancestors are listed on the Pioneer Monument in front of the library building in the center of town.
They were married in the summer of 1976 in the Manti Utah Temple. They are the parents of five children, four boys and one girl. Their children are Cade and Becky Beck, Fairview; Cody and Laci Beck, Mt. Pleasant; Brian and Kathy Beck, Mt. Pleasant; Brandon and Chelsea Beck, Milburn; Aubree and Kip Larsen, Vernal. They are the grandparents of thirteen grandchildren, with one more coming this summer.
In 1974, Mark started running Beck’s TV, a television sales and service business that his father started in 1959. Laura soon joined him running the business after they were married in 1976. Over the years, the business expanded to include a full line of home appliances, furniture and mattresses. The name of their business was changed in the 1980s to Beck’s Home Furnishings. In 1994, their business location moved from its original location of 140 W. Main Street to 14 W. Main Street, where it remains today.
Throughout their married lives, they have both served in many leadership callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2013 they served a church mission together in the Russia, Novosibirsk Mission. Their church service has been a central part of their lives here in Sanpete County. Mark also served a term on the Mt. Pleasant City Council in the 1980s and has been involved in the Mt. Pleasant Main Street business district for many years.
Laura has served on the Mt. Pleasant Library Board and local PTA and currently enjoys her membership in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. They are both proud to claim Mt. Pleasant as their lifetime home and are proud of their pioneer heritage.
Mark and Laura both enjoy travelling the world and experiencing different cultures. Mark said they love the people and beauty of the world, but truly realize that there is no place like home. “The mountains of Sanpete County are very special to us and we love to enjoy this mountain paradise all seasons of the year,” he said.
