Esther H. Becker
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Esther H. Becker, age 82 of Hartington, Nebraska died peacefully after a brief battle with brain cancer on Friday, July 22, 2011 at the Golden Living Center in Hartington.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hartington. Burial will be at St. Michael's Cemetery in Hartington, NE. Visitation will be on Monday at church from 4-8:00 p.m. with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Tuesday at church one hour prior to services. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington. To send an online sympathy card please go to www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com . Memorials can be directed to Cedar Catholic High School or Holy Trinity Catholic Church, both in Hartington.

Pallbearers will be : Justin Becker, John Becker, Travis Ekeren, Paul Becker, Steven Uhl, Tanner Ekeren, Brady Ekeren, Michael Uhl, Beau Becker, Rex Becker Honorary pallbearers will be her Prayer Group and her Special Friends.

Nothing mattered more to Esther than faith and family, and she devoted her life to ministering, supporting, and engaging with others. She had the "gift of gab," which drew people to her-everyone came to count on Esther for a good laugh, a nugget of wisdom, and the comfort of her incredible strength.

Born on November 28, 1928, in Flasher, North Dakota, to John and Ricka (Anderson) Martin, the family relocated to Hartington, where Esther and her siblings, Arlene, Jack, and Maxine, enjoyed sleigh-riding in the winter and horseback riding in the summer. Esther graduated from Hartington High School in May of 1946 and then moved to Omaha to attend school to become a weather dispatcher for the airlines. After graduating, Esther worked for both the county agents and county treasurer's office as a secretary.

August 18, 1948, marked the beginning of something special when Esther married her sweetheart, Roman (Bud) Becker. Esther's greatest accomplishment was raising and nurturing her nine children. She once wrote that "my children were my reason for living when times were tough and now through my grandchildren, I can capture the joys of my own kids. Just to think that God thought I was worthy of such a good bunch makes me feel very blessed indeed."

Together, Esther and Bud owned and operated Becker Flying Service, and in the early days of their business, Esther could be seen flagging the fields and moving the irrigation pipes up and down rows of corn, while Bud sprayed the fields with his airplane. For years after, Esther supported the business from the office, keeping books, taking calls, and talking with Bud, Steve, and Tom over the CB-radio.

When Esther wasn't spending time with one of her children or grandchildren, or helping Bud with the business, you could find Esther where she felt most at home-in her church. Esther was an integral part of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church community, where she attended mass regularly, meeting with priests for guidance, connecting with parishioner friends, or praying for others. Esther's commitment to Catholic education was felt by the whole community-for more than 20 years, she served as secretary for both Holy Trinity and Cedar Catholic High School, taught prayer class for 11 years, and was involved in the Quest movement for freshman and sophomores. She enjoyed her weekly prayer group meetings with dear friends and often volunteered at the Golden Living Center, leading prayer groups, giving manicures, and praying with the sick and dying.

Esther's accomplishments and contributions were many and great, but mostly, her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will miss their "visits" with their beloved lady, "solving the world's problems" over a cappuccino and a piece of pie, putting puzzles together on a Sunday afternoon, or taking turns sitting next to her, basking in the glory of her "talking tos," her soft arms, and her knowing looks. Her husband, Bud, will miss their evenings together, sitting side-by-side in their rocking chairs, watching Wheel of Fortune and the evening news, and discussing the goings-on of the day.

But, she is home now. She is home with her God, as well as those loved ones who went before her-her parents, John and Ricka Martin, her sister, Maxine, and her dear son, Steve. What a grand reunion it must be!

Her spirit lives on in those she loved here on Earth: her husband, Bud; son, Tom (Gail) Becker and grandchildren, Tiffany (Bobby), John (Emily) and Janelle Becker, of Hartington; daughter-in-law, Sheane (Ron) Hatch and grandchildren, Justin, Carissa (Shaun) Finn, and Paul Becker, of Yankton; daughter, Pam (Ken) Schaefer and granddaughter, Katie, of Yankton; daughter, Deanna (Dave) Uhl and grandsons, Steven and Michael, of The Woodlands, TX; son, Kevin (Tena) Becker of Yankton; son, Terry Becker of Yankton; daughter, Kristi (David) Ekeren and grandchildren, Brady and Sarah, of Yankton; daughter, Jana (Dan) Ekeren and grandsons, Travis and Tanner, of Yankton; son, Chuck (Susan) Becker and grandchildren, Molly, Beau, and Rex, of Hartington; as well as many cherished great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

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Deanna,Pam,Bud and all the Becker family So very sorry to hear of Esther's death. I just saw her at my Aunt Lenore's funeral this spring. How quickly lives change!!! I have so many fond memories of times spent at your house-whether waiting for my brothers to pick me up after dances,or having "slumber parties". Esther always greeted everyone with that beautiful smile and great laugh. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you!! Diane (Hoesing) Lerch Bud & Family, Our deepest sympathy at the loss of Esther. She touched so many lives, young and old during her years at Cedar. She will be missed! Ken & Mary Thunker May the peace which comes from the memories of love shared, comfort you now and in the days ahead. Peace and prayers to all of the Becker Family. Karen & JR Rasmussen So sorry to hear of your loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Brad and Lindy (Ekeren) Slagle Esther was such a lovely lady. She raised such a beautiful and loving family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Boudreau Family So sorry to hear about your mother. I will be praying for you all. Ruth (Heimes) Bergmann So sorry for your loss. Esther was a very neat lady. Loved her lots. Pat and Dave Sedivy Hello Kristie, and family. We just wanted to express our sorry of your mom's death. She was such a prominent person in our high school years. It is hard to think of one with out thinking of her. She was always on top of all. Know that we are thinking of your and praying for you. Love and Blessings sid & terri sudbeck Esther was a wonderful person. I got to know her when working at Cedar Catholic. She was wonderful to visit and always had an uplifting word to share. Esther had that light about her, she truly was a blessing to those who had the honor of knowing her. She will be missed. Karen Boehmer Pam, we were saddened to hear of the passing of your Mom. May the warm memories you have of her help you during this difficult time. Don and Melissa Buehrer Kristi and all the family, My deepest sympathies to all of you as you begin to process the loss of your mother. No one is ever quite prepared for that moment. She was a special lady and one of the memories we hold from our time at Cedar Catholic. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Judy (Litz) Altmaier So sorry to hear about your mom. May you find peace in your memories and comfort with your family. Denise Lammers Webbert Bud and family - I was shocked and saddened to hear of your loss. Eshter was a great lady. I will always remember hear smile and assistance while attending Cedar in the 70's. Bud - it was only a short time ago when we were at Marcel's funeral in Canada and you were saying how good she was doing. Again. please accept my sympathies. Carol (Thoene) Ryan It is with this note that we send our sincerest condolences. While I only met Esther briefly during Shaun and Carissa's wedding weekend, it was very easy to tell what a kind and caring person she was. Furthermore, I think one needs just a handful of time with any of Esther's children and grandchildren to understand not only what a great family she raised but how important she was to all of them. Again, pleased accept our deepest sympathies. Sincerely, Jeff Matteuzzi and Katie Portman May the peace and comfort only Jesus can give be with all of you at thios time. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Emery and Roberta Hoesing and family We want to express our sympathy on behalf of your mom and grandma. We all know she is in a better place now. We know that it will be tough at first, this is where the family all get together and condolance each other. I still remember in school she always knows you and always have a smile on her face. She always fun to talk to and you kids riding the bus with you, (Shorty) and the rest, it's been real fun. Again we want to send our sympathy and will keep her in our prayers. Ed and Dona Steffen My thoughts are prayers are with you and your family. Someone sent me a quote to help with the healing of the loss of my parents. I hope this will carry a little comfort in your heart... "Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. " Janet, Randall, Lorenzo (wife Jennifer and Amarynth) and Keither Perkins I taught at Cedar Catholic from 1972-1974, and Esther was a good friend. I learned a lot from her calm nature and being able to multi-task. She was our go-to person who could do anything. She was so professional, and she set the tone for all of us by handling "naughty students" very calmly and never showing anger. She was such a sweet person, and she and I had many visits after school was out and the building emptied. I had the joy of seeing Esther in Yankton a few years ago and talking with her a bit. I am sorry for her death, but I guess God decided He had shared her with us all long enough. I know you will all miss your matriach very much. My sympathy to Bud and all the children and family. We had hoped to get to Hartington for the funeral in the morning, but Terry took a fall and broke three ribs a month ago, so we don't move real fast these days. I would love to be there to honor her memory. Please know we are there in spirit. May God comfort all of you. Remember us as we are remembering you. Linda and Terry Kluthe Kristi, Jana, & all of the Becker family, My thoughts are of you, My prayers are for you, & My heart is with you! Deepest sympathies to you both and your whole family. She was such a friendly, loving person. I will remember her always from my Cedar & our 'hangin out' days. Tammie (Lange) Eskens Our deepest sympathies being sent at the loss of your mother. May you find comfort in knowing that your family is in our prayers, and may the memories you have live on forever! James and Sheri Duke To the Finn family and all those who were blessed by this wonderful lady, we are thinking of you today The Argentar Family To the Becker family Our family was very sadden to hear of the loss of Esther Becker. We did not have the pleasure to know her but we do know her daughters Kristi and Jana. Esther must have been a great lady because she left behind quite a legacy of family members she raised. Our thoughts are with the Becker family in this time of sorrow. Jim Ekern and family I didn't know Esther, but her wonderful daughter Deanna, to whom I have turned for comfort and advice often. So my husband and I honor Esther's memory as a model of spiritual strength to her family and community. Diana and Michael Sitek As I read the beautiful obituary for Esther Becker, it was her precious daughter, Deanna I envisioned. Deanna embodies so many of the same special qualities as her mother, and even though I did not know Esther personally, her spirit surely lives on in her earthly family. My deepest sympathy to all. Paula Ashworth

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