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Winifred “Winnie” Delores Becker, 77, of Fergus Falls
Published 12:24pm Monday, October 31, 2011 Updated 12:24pm Monday, October 31, 2011Winifred Becker, died Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, at the Evansville Care Center from complications of pneumonia.
Winnie was born in Benson, April 17, 1934, to Frank and Belle (Perrizo) Fiala. She was proud to be raised in her hometown of Clontarf, where Saint Malachy’s church, good times with family and friends, school and the Clontarf town baseball team were strong interests.
Her father, Frank, had a massive stroke in the town barber shop when Winnie was three years old.
Times were tough financially during the depression years and with her mother, Belle, working long hours at the family restaurant in Clontarf, with Winnie and her mother living above the business as was usually the case back then.
So, at age 9 years old, she moved across the street to live with her dear aunt and uncle, Roy and Rose Perrizo, with their three boys, Dick, Bert and Bob, as they operated the Clontarf General Store and post office.
In those small living quarters grew a very strong bond of blended family.
She married Ronald Duane Becker at Saint Malachy’s Church in Clontarf on Feb. 5, 1955, and in the ensuing years they moved with their three sons, Mitchell, Douglas and Mark around central in search of a better life and the “American Dream.” From a farm outside Litchfield until 1958, to the Bus Depot Café in Fergus Falls until the early 1960s, then on to Ron’s work with the National Guard in Paynesville and St. Cloud. It was back to Fergus Falls in 1971, to operate Becker’s Supper Club (formerly the Ranch House) and then Becker Realty for 17 years until her Ronald’s death in 1994.
There was never a dull moment with her dear husband, Ronald, and she said she wouldn’t have traded a moment for anything.
In 1948, Winnie graduated from the Clontarf middle school that served up through the eighth grade.
In 1950, Winnie was Clontarf’s “Miss Hay Bale,” which was quite an honor for any Clontarf girl as the town was known as the “Hay Capital” of the world, with their hay highly sought out as the best for top racing horses and livestock throughout the United States.
She graduated from the Benson High School in 1952, and started at the St. Cloud’s Teacher College several days later — taking up a vocation that her Aunt Rose had worked at for a short time in the 1920s.
She did her student teaching at Holdingford, and then worked there for a year, before getting married, and then for three years at several rural country schools around the Litchfield area.
After a short break when they moved to Fergus Falls the first time, she continued teaching at Richmond, Rockville and Cold Spring which eventually unified to become the ROCORI school district.
After operating Becker’s Supper Club until 1975, she started work at the Fergus Falls State Hospital (later Regional Treatment Center) in the dietary department but worked most of her years in the vocational department as a Special Education Teacher’s Assistant. She retired after 20 years there and always appreciated the great staff and clients that she worked with during that time.
Winnie’s interests included Federated Church in Fergus Falls, cooking and entertaining friends and family, walking, and her love of music including playing the “bones” while accompanying Ronald on the guitar or banjo.
Her incredible love of baseball started many years ago with the Clontarf town team and ended with her passing on the 20th anniversary of her beloved Minnesota Twins last world championship.
Winnie was preceded in death by her parents, mother- and father-in-law, husband Ronald and good friend Donna Boll.
She is survived by her three sons, Mitch and Sharon (Peterson) Becker of Cambridge, Doug and Barb (Richter) Becker and Mark and Lisa (Holo) Becker, all of Fergus Falls; grandchildren, Ryan, Alissa, Hannah, Mark, Ronnie and Tessa; a great-grandchild, Maraely; incredible long-time friends include Mae Reich of Fergus Falls and Diane Rhode-Szarke of Perham.
Goodbye to a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, co-worker, friend, neighbor, who tried every day to do the best she could for those she loved. God bless you— you will be missed.
Visitation: Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church
Service: 11 a.m. Wednesday, at Federated Church, Fergus Falls
Clergy: Rev. Doug Dent
Burial: Oak Grove Cemetery, Fergus Falls
Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls
Condolences may be sent online at www.olsonfuneralhome.com
