Becker, John Frederick 1869 - 1942

BECKER, STEMMER, BRANDT, COULTER, GLYNN

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 4/6/2024 at 12:44:29

Clayton County Register, 28 Oct. 1942.

John F. Becker, 78, for many years prominent in business and political circles in Elkader, died of a heart ailment at the University hospital in Iowa City early Saturday morning. Mr. Becker had been in ill health for some time.

Funeral services were held at the home at 1:30 Monday and at Friedens Evangelical and Reformed church at 2 o'clock, the Rev. P. Kitterer officiating. Services at the graveside in East Side cemetery were in charge of the Elkader Masonic lodge.

John Frederick Becker was the son of John W. Becker and his wife Caroline Stemmer. He was born June 03, 1869, at Elkader. June 18, 1897, he was married to Louise M. Brandt at Garnavillo, who survives him with three children: Earl of Gary, Ind., Mrs. Chan F. Coulter (Mae) of Iowa City, and Katherine of Cleveland, Ohio. Two sons preceded him in death, one in infancy and Louis William at 12.

Mr. Becker received his education in the Elkader public schools. After graduation and until 1892 he was employed as a bookkeeper for the Stemmer and Dittmer lumber firm. He then entered into a partnership with his brother Will in a drug store which lasted until 1907. In that year he was appointed county treasurer to complete an unexpired term. Immediately following this term of office he was elected cashier of the Elkader State Bank in which capacity he served until 1929. For four years he was with the state banking department as receiver, liquidating banks in Winthrop and Clarksville.

Since 1906 and until his death, Mr. Becker was secretary of the Communia Farmers' Mutual Insurance company. For six years he served on the Elkader public school board. For 16 years he was committee chairman for the Clayton county Republicans.

Mr. Becker was an active and faithful member of the Friedens Evangelical and Reformed church. He was a member of the official board for a number of years and for several terms served as its president. He was a member of the building committee when the church was erected. He served two terms as a member of the council of the Iowa Synod and at the time of his death was a member of the Kingdom Service committee of the Iowa Synod.

An active and faithful member of the Masonic Lodge, Consistory and Shrine, Mr. Becker was honored in 1940 by the Elkader lodge with the fifty-year jewel.

Mr. Becker was a member of the World War I selective draft board.

Besides his family, Mr. Becker is survived by two sisters, Carrie of Elkader, and Mrs. Glynn (Amelia) of Parkston, S.D., and one brother, Will, of Elkader, also two grandsons.

Honorary pallbearers at the funeral were Dr. H. D. Brown, Joe J. Kuehl, V. L. Gilje, F. A. Niemeyer, Geo. Ehrhardt and Frank Tieden.

Active pallbearers were Henry Wolf, Fern Sharp, G. H. Wilke, Geo. Katschkowsky, LeRoy Dittmer and George Schmidt.