Lore (Marschall) BECKER

BECKER, MARSCHALL, SANTOS, MEYERS, GRAGE, SKOVRENECK

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/27/2012 at 13:45:00

May 27, 1929 --- March 5, 2012

ALEXANDER, IA - Lore Becker, 82, of Alexander, passed away in her sleep on the morning of March 5, 2012, at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames. She had been admitted a few days earlier for difficulty breathing. Services will be held at the First Reformed Church in Alexander, at 9 a.m., on Saturday, March 17, with coffee to follow.

Lore, the second daughter of Hans and Magda Marschall, was born May 27, 1929, in the town of Insterburg in the providence of East Prussia, Germany. Lore's and her brother's and two sisters' childhood was disrupted by the Second World War as the family was forced to relocate twice, ending up under Russian occupation. In 1946 the family was allowed to relocate to Neustadt-Holestein in the northern part of West Germany, where Lore's father was released from a prisoner of war camp and the family began to build their new home. Lore, then 17, went into training as a housekeeper, working on a farm, where she first met her future husband, Herbert Becker, who was also 17, and in training as farmer. He was destined for a continent away, to work on his aunt's farm near Sheffield, Iowa. Lore went to England to work as a nanny for two years, and returned to Germany in 1952. She worked in a bakery and pastry shop. Herbert found his way back to Germany as an American soldier, earning his U.S. citizenship for his service, and in December, 1954, the two were married. Their first child, Anne, was born in 1955, before they moved to America, settling in Sheffield briefly, before Herbert began working for General Mills, and the family moved to Belmond. By 1959, the young family had added two sons, Hans and Karl, and had outgrown the small house they rented. They purchased a home in Alexander, where they raised their three children and lived until Herbert passed away in 2011. They were active members of the First Reformed Church of Alexander, Herbert becoming a deacon and Lore serving as the president of the Women's League for ten years.

Lore was also a member of the Federated Women's Club which started a library in the jail cells of the old town hall. Lore was the town librarian for 29 years and oversaw the building of the new library. She also served as a the librarian for the CAL school in Alexander, as a Den Mother for Cub Scouts, as a Sunday school and Bible school teacher, taught German language adult education classes for the North Iowa Area Community College, and served for several years on the Alexander Town Council.

Lore was preceded in death by her loving husband of 56 years, her parents, and her brother, Jurgen. Herbert and Lore were people of simple needs and simple means, who possessed an incredible ability to create and nurture. To them, the remains of old buildings were the raw material to build an addition onto someone's home, and the simplest things such as old barn board or pinecone, could be turned into works of art or a craft class for neighborhood children. They loved and gave of themselves to others as they loved each other. Their home will be remembered as a place of daily social gathering, where, whomever dropped by, was welcome to afternoon coffee with Lore's baked goods, and for the beautiful and bountiful variety and abundance from their garden that drew viewers from across the state, decorated the church weekly and that, given freely, stimulated taste buds of everyone they knew. Even on the coldest winter day, there was a taste of summer in Lore's jams and jellies, and the hot summer sun in Herbie's special seasoning and dried peppers. Lore is remembered by many for her love of reading and passionate delivery of children's stories during Story Hour at the library. Regardless of your age or interest, you could depend on Lore's recommendation for the next book on your reading list. Lore spent her final year living in her own apartment near family, and enjoyed the arrival of her fourth great-grandchild, as well as her passions for producing hand-crafted works of art, and reading. As her final book recommendation, she thoroughly enjoyed all seven books of the "Harry Potter" series, recently reading them all in about three weeks.

The family and community of Alexander, mourn the loss of this loving and caring soul, who now shares eternity in God's hands, with her loving husband, Herbert. Lore and Herbert are survived by their three children: Anne, Hans and Karl; five grandchildren: Terry Becker, Shannon Santos. Kristen Meyers, Karri Becker, Karlye Becker; and four great-grandchildren: Steven Santos, TJ Becker, Savannah Becker, and Keatyn Becker; Lore's two sisters, Helga Grage and Anne-Marie Skovreneck, still live in Germany.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
March 13, 2012