Healing Process Begins for Small Town Without its Leader

By Carson Tigges

“Let the healing begin.”

That was the text message from Joan Becker to Jan Thomas, the widow of one of the nation’s most successful high school football coaches, Ed Thomas, after Becker’s son, Mark, was convicted of first degree murder of the legendary coach earlier this week.

“I hope we can all start to heal. See you soon,” Jan responded to her fellow church choir member.

The healing will be a long process for the people of Parkersburg, Iowa after losing the man that was much, much more than a football coach on June 24, 2009. On that morning, Mark – diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic – walked into a weightlifting session Ed was supervising and pumped five bullets into the man everybody in town had grown to know and love.

In addition to garnering 2005 NFL High School Coach of the Year honors, posting a 292-84 record as a coach and sending four players on to the NFL, Ed may be most known for being a rock to stand by and leading recovery efforts after a tornado leveled more than half the town of 2,000 people and left seven dead in May 2008.

Healing efforts will be just as tedious for the Becker family, which loses a son and brother after the jury rejected Mark’s defense claim of insanity following 25 hours of deliberation. The family knew their son was in need of help and finally started to see glimpses of him again after he was prescribed three different medications after the shooting.

“We have watched our son Mark go from a handsome, fun-loving young man to a frightened lonely person trying to fight off Demons to numerous for anyone else to bear,” said Joan after the verdict. “Ed Thomas was a victim of a victim. Although we tried to go through all the necessary channels to get our son the help he desperately needed, the system failed miserably.”

But no matter the verdict or what the future holds for Mark Becker, a sense of relief has washed over the people of Parkersburg, who can finally return to the life they’re used to. Gone are the cameras, gone are the reporters and gone is a trial that acted as a constant reminder of what happened that June morning.

Ed Thomas shaped Aplington-Parkersburg into a football school and the Falcons’ winning record last year was just a small sign of the strength of the small community that has been through more than they deserve. Dave and Joan’s youngest son, Scott, was part of that team and also became homecoming king.

Even through all the tribulation, the Beckers say they have never heard a negative word muttered their way from the people of Parkersburg because that’s just the way small town Iowa is. What may be putting the town at ease is the spitting image of Ed taking over his role of athletic director and rock to stand by – his son Aaron complete with buzz cut and all.

But no matter what titles have shifted to whom, the grieving process will carry on in Parkersburg, and finally, life can shift back to normal.