Obit: Becker, Clarence E. (1917 - 2009)

Contact: Stan
Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Becker, Pace, McManus, Becker, Schenk, Kraus, Noehring, Schoengarth, Gurney, Lecher

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co., Wis.) Tuesday, 13 Jan. 2009

Becker, Clarence E. (14 Oct. 1917 - 11 Jan. 2009)

Clarence "Curly" E. Becker, 91, of the town of Grant in Clark County, died Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009.

Funeral services are pending. The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home of Abbotsford is assisting Clarence's family with arrangements. A complete obituary will run later in the week.

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co., Wis.) Thursday, 15 Jan. 2009

Clarence "Curly" E. Becker, 91, of the town of Grant in Clark County, passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009, at his residence, surrounded by his loving family and under the tender care of the Ministry Home Care Hospice. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Neillsville. The Rev. Woodrow H. Pace will officiate. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with military rites being conducted by the American Legion Post No. 73 of Neillsville. Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until time of service, all at the church in Neillsville. His sons-in-law will serve as his pallbearers.

Curly was born Oct. 14, 1917, in Marshfield to Henry and Margaret (Lecher) Becker. He attended Saint John's Parochial School in Marshfield until the sixth grade followed, by seventh and eighth grades at Happy Hollow School in rural Neillsville. Clarence joined the Conservation Corps at Camp Nelson in April of 1938 until June 1941. In that same year, he married the former Rosalie Schmidt on Oct. 18 in Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Neillsville. In December 1942, Clarence was drafted into the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 853rd Engineer Battalion and worked as an automotive mechanic. During his service to his country, Clarence was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Service Unit Award and, because of his brothers in arms, he survived the sinking of the Rohna, for which he received the Army Purple Cross. After his honorable discharge from the Army on Oct. 31, 1945, Curly returned to Neillsville and worked as a mechanic at various automotive shops in the area. At one time, Curly owned and operated his own filling station in Neillsville called Becker Cities Service. He did other jobs, including road work for Mathy Road Construction and again as a mechanic for Cennex Co. in Neillsville. After retiring, Curly was engaged in selling Christmas trees for his daughter Diane and her husband for many years because of his special love for the Douglas, Wyo., and became involved with Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery as a caretaker and sexton for the cemetery for a number of years. Clarence was a member of Saint Mary's Catholic Church and the American Legion Post No. 73 of Neillsville.

In his spare time, Curly enjoyed fishing, hunting, playing cribbage and reading books, especially westerns and National Geographics. His favorite music was the old country western songs. He loved spending time with his grandkids and great-grandkids, and harvesting and cracking black walnuts. His children can attest to the fact that Curly's yard and garden had to be kept "just so," and he was very proud of his yard and garden.

Clarence is lovingly survived by his wife, Rosalie, of 67 years; his children: Beverly (Walter) Schenk of Avon Park, Fla.; Carol McManus of Lombard, Ill.; Don (Lorna) Becker of Greenfield; Diane (Lewis) Gurney of Neillsville; Lynette (Mark) Schoengarth of Neillsville; Mary Kay (Michael) Noehring of Lakeville, Minn.; and Scott Becker of Neillsville. He is further survived by 17 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren and a sister, Arlene Schnabel, of Neillsville. He will be sadly missed by his longtime companion, his cat, Kitsey.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers: John and Harold, a sister, Nora Kraus, and a sister, Virginia, in infancy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given in Curly's name to the family for a charity to be determined at a later date. The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home of Abbotsford is assisting Clarence's family with all arrangements.