Zoey Beseman

Zoey Beseman, 1 yr. old daughter of Billy and Clara Beseman of Marion, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Sept. 18th. Funeral Services will be held on Friday Sept. 25th, at 10 am, at the Salem Zion Mennonite Church of Freeman. Visitation will be Thursday, Sept 24th, from 5-7 pm at the church. 

Zoey Eliza Beseman Obituary

Zoey Eliza Beseman was born on September 5, 2025 to William and Clara Beseman. Her parents gave her the name Zoey (meaning “life”) and Eliza (“God is my abundance”) in recognition of two things: that they were blessed by this child’s existence and that God blesses us all with the opportunity for eternal life, even life after death. Zoey received her inheritance of eternal life early when she died tragically and unexpectedly during a nap at just one year old on September 18, 2026.

Zoey was deeply loved by her family and her church, Salem-Zion Mennonite, where she was dedicated to the Lord on April 12, 2026.

Zoey spent much of her time perched next to the counter on her spot to watch her mom in the kitchen, climbing up anything she could manage, playing with her sister Bella (3 years), or digging in the garden. She loved snacking on fresh garden vegetables and would always make a beeline for the basket of whatever was being harvested. She would take a single bite out of each item in the basket before discarding it for the next.

Zoey was too young for others to know how her personality would fully develop and manifest, but she seemed to have a penchant for mischief. It was as if she knew what she wasn’t supposed to do and took pleasure in doing it for that exact reason. She’d start crawling toward the stairs, turn around to make sure someone was watching, and then squeal as soon as she knew she was seen and scamper up the steps. And she went through a phase when she was younger where, when anyone would try to hold her, she would scream until she got passed back to mom or dad. Upon being passed back, she would immediately quiet, bury her head into her parent’s shoulder, look back at the person who attempted to hold her, and smile at them slyly as if to say, “See, I got what I wanted.”

In her short year on this earth, Zoey lived up to her name. She lived vibrantly and persistently. From an early age, she was quick to smile and laugh. When she couldn’t figure out how to crawl, she army-crawled. When she couldn’t figure out how to walk, she bear-crawled. She did all she could to keep up with her big sister, and loved on her hard. The simplest testament of the sisters’ bond can be summarized simply: Zoey’s first word was “Bella.”

Left to cherish her memory are her sister Bella; parents Clara and William; grandparents Suzanne and Todd Koerner and Karen and Robert Beseman; great grandparents Joan Beseman and Ellroy Koerner; as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins.