Delores Becker

Delores Otilda Becker, age 94, of Waseca, passed away on the morning of January 26, 2022, at Lake Shore Inn in Waseca, where she had resided for 6 months.

Born in North Mankato on April 11, 1927, to William and Clara (Schroepfer) Ertl. She attended Franklin School and Mankato High School in Mankato, where she met her future husband, George Harry Becker. They were married when he was on leave from the US Navy, on August 11, 1945, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato. They raised 5 children and were married for 56 years until George passed away on January 23, 2002.

Delores was a homemaker and mother of five children, whom she loved dearly. George and Delores both knew the rewards of hard work. They bought and remodeled five homes and built 2 new homes, doing most of the work themselves. In her later years, she especially enjoyed visiting the many home sites the family lived at in southern Minnesota, including Mankato, North Mankato, LeHillier, Le Sueur, New Prague, Lake Jefferson, and Cleveland. She and George lived on “Little Lake Jefferson” near Cleveland for 20 years before moving to Waseca in 1993 to be near their daughter, Janice, and her husband Paul Hunter.

Delores was a very artistic and creative person who was always up for a new challenge. Over her lifetime, she enjoyed stained glass art, oil painting, needle work, lapidary, cooking sauerkraut and dumplings, fishing, collecting shells on the beaches, working the slot machines, playing accordion and piano, puzzles, sledding, snowmobiling, and ice skating. Delores always loved her vegetable gardens and canning all the produce. She loved nature and animals, especially her beloved dog, Boots, her best friend during childhood, and her many other pets over the years, including her little dog, Lucy, who survives her. She and George enjoyed traveling after retirement to visit family and friends across the country, stopping at casinos along the way, and they especially enjoyed attending the annual US Navy LST ship reunions. Family meant everything to Delores and she treasured her memories of all her loved ones.

Delores is survived by her five children: David (Jan Bertness) Becker of Melbourne Beach, Florida; Janice (Paul) Hunter of Waseca; Susan (Ronald) Graham of Colorado Springs, Colorado; James (Shelley) Becker of Fort Collins, Colorado; and Cynthia Ely of Waseca; a sister-in-law, Judy Becker, of Mankato and a brother-in-law, Dale (Deloris) Becker, of North Mankato; 6 grandchildren: Matthew (Laurie) Becker, Jason (Beth) Becker, Kirsten (Conor) Blanchet, Dustin (Amy) Ely, Jacob (Jaimie) Ely, Amy Ely; 23 great grandchildren: Jordan Becker, Jack Becker, Sophia Becker, Halle Becker, Luke Becker, Soren Blanchet, Leif Blanchet, Vilde Blanchet, Jaylee Ely, Dalton Ely, Carter Ely, Madisen Ely, Colton Ely, Hailey Ely, Hunter Ely, Dylan Ely, Victoria Ely, Kemper Ely, Logan Ely, Layla Ely, Journey Willaert, Jonah Passmore, and Michael Passmore; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter-in-law, Donna (Jordan) Becker; 2 brothers: Roland Ertl and Raymond Ertl; a grandson, Casey Ely; and many cherished brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

A Celebration of Delores' Life will be from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at the Waseca Area Senior Center.

Memorial donations can be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.