Herbert BECKER

BECKER, MARSCHALL, ELHERS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/3/2011 at 11:25:24

June 16, 1929 -- January 26, 2011

ALEXANDER, IA - Herbert Becker of Alexander, passed away on Jan. 26, 2011, while recovering from heart surgery in Cedar Rapids. Herbert's soul is with the Lord and his remains were cremated; awaiting his loving wife before they will be laid to rest next to Karl and Freda at Hilltop Cemetery in Sheffield. Memorial services will be the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. at the First Reformed church of Alexander.

Herbert, the eldest of four, was born in Hamburg, Germany, on June 16, 1929, to Willihem and Kattie Becker. He was drafted into the German Army at the age of 14 and served until the end of World War II in 1945. After the war he attended agriculture school and entered training to become a farmer. It was during this training, at a farm in Lemsal, that the 17-year-old Herbert met the love of his life, Lore Hedwig Marschall, who was training as a housekeeper on the same farm. That love was tested by distance as Herbert left for America, sponsored by his aunt and uncle to work on their farm near Sheffield. He worked off the debt for his passage while writing poetry and love letters to Lore who was in England working as a nanny. Herbert enlisted in the Army during the Korean Conflict and after brief time with the 82nd Airborne Division, was reassigned to the 1st Armored Division in Germany where he became a tank commander and earned his U.S. citizenship for his service. He completed active service in 1954, continuing to serve in the Army Reserve until 1960.

In December of 1954 Herbert and Lore were married in Hamburg, Germany, and the following year they had their first child, Anne. The new family moved from Germany back to Sheffield. Herbert found employment at General Mills in Belmond. They rented a small home in Belmond and added two sons, Hans and Karl, to the family. In 1959, the Beckers purchased their family home in Alexander. The early years in Alexander were difficult, particularly when the mill closed and Herbert worked in a variety of construction jobs and relied on their large garden to feed the family. He went back to work in the mill in Belmond in 1965 when it was reopened by Central Soya, working there for 26 years, retiring in 1991. He was also a small businessman; completing many small construction and renovation jobs over three decades, a Boy Scout leader, deacon in the Alexander First Reformed Church and volunteer fireman; serving on the team that brought 911 emergency service to Franklin County. Herbert was never one to sit idle. His hands and mind were always busy. He collected rocks and minerals and hand-crafted jewelry, built a large collection of stamps and loved to go camping and travel, typically to places where unique rocks could be found. Retirement from work only provided more time to take on those things he never had time for. He was a master gardener whose organic techniques enriched the already fertile soil. He was able to produce crops and flowers of incredible variety and quality, which he gave freely to his neighbors and the church and sold at local farmers' markets. His summer flowers attracted viewers form across the region. A gregarious soul, he loved his afternoon coffee with whomever happened to drop by. Guests could expect a few lighthearted pranks or jokes, a garden tour and would most likely be offered some of the bounty from his garden. Herb, as he was known by his friends, was both a carpenter whose hands were always building and gardener who nurtured all living things.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Lore; daughter, Anne and her husband, Bruce; son, Hans and his wife, Sue; son, Karl and his wife, Sharon; five grandchildren: Terry, Shannon, Kristen, Karri and Karlye; three great grandchildren: TJ, Savannah and Steven; his brother, Helmut; and sister Erica; several cousins, nephews, nieces and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Lisa, and his aunt Freda and her husband Karl Elhers who sponsored his move to the United States.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
February 3, 2011