Margaret Becker 1845-1928

BECKER, RICKERT, ZELLER, ILLG, HILBERT

Posted By: Geo Clinton (email)
Date: 7/30/2012 at 14:09:31

Oct 17, 1928 - Algona Upper Des Moines - Mrs. Margaret Becker, old and highly respected lady of the St. Joe neighborhood, died at the Algona hospital on Friday, October 5, at the age of eighty three years. The Livermore Gazette gives the following obituary: Margaret Rickert was born on June 14, 1845, at Baden, Germany. She came to America at the age of twenty years. Three years later, in 1868, she was married to Anton Becker at Milton, Illinois. Six children were born to them: Mary, (Mrs. Jacob Zeller), at Watertown, South Dakota; George, at St. Joe; Anna (died in infancy); Rosa, (Mrs. George Illg), at Algona; Catherine, (Mrs. Frank Hilbert), at Livermore; and Thomas, at Shaw, Oregon.

In 1880 she, with her husband and family, moved to Iowa on a farm near St. Joe. Her husband died twenty nine years ago, on December 7, 1898. For the past year she has been making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Frank Hilbert. On September 23 she fell and fractured her hip, and was taken to the Algona hospital, where she passed away on Friday morning, October 5, 1928, at the age of eighty three years, three months, and twenty one days.

She was widely known as a good Christian woman, a faithful wife and a loving mother, and was a lifelong member of the Catholic church, and most devout. Besides her children she leaves to mourn her loss twenty eight grandchildren and twenty-six great grandchildren. Funeral services were held at St. Joseph's church in St. Joseph on Monday at nine o'clock, Father Stork officiating, and a very large crowd were present to pay their respects to the memory of the departed. All the above named children were present and attended the funeral services. The pall bearers were Tony, Matt, Thos. and Laurence Becker, and Frank and Arthur Illg, grandsons of the deceased.

Among those in attendance from abroad were Thomas Becker of Shaw, Oregon; Mrs. Jacob Zeller and son, George of Watertown, South Dakota; Frank Illg of St. Paul; Mr. and Mrs. Edward Illg of Currie, Minnesota; and Mrs. Ed. Wollner of Emmetsburg,