Obit of Becker, Mary Elsie - Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 30 Oct 2005 Return to Oklahoma County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/oklahoma/oklahoma.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Becker, Mary Elsie 1915 - 2005 Mary Elsie Becker, 90, died Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at home. Funeral: 10 a.m. Saturday in the auditorium of Legacy Church of Christ in North Richland Hills. Jim McDonald will officiate. Burial: 4 p.m. Saturday in Arlington Memorial Gardens in Oklahoma City, Okla. George Bryan will officiate. Visitation: Mrs. Becker will lie in state until 9 p.m. Friday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole and 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday in the chapel of Legacy Church of Christ. Memorials: Her memory may be honored with a gift to Deaf Action Center, 3115 Crestview Dr. Dallas, Texas 75235; The Tipton Home Inc. (for boys and girls), 1000 Broadway Tipton, Okla. 73570; Legacy Church of Christ Building Fund, 8801 Mid-Cities Blvd. North Richland Hills, Texas 76180; or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 102454 Atlanta, Ga. 30368. Mary Elsie Becker was born Jan. 23, 1915, in Chattanooga, Okla., and resided in Oklahoma City for more than 50 years and was a prior resident of Midwest City, Okla. She was a parts identifier at Tinker Air Force Base and a member of Wilshire Church of Christ in Oklahoma City. Living locally for the past two years, she was a member of Legacy Church of Christ in North Richland Hills. She was a past president of Business and Professional Women's and Oklahoma China Painting Clubs in Oklahoma City. Elsie Becker met and married Sam D. Becker while he was teaching in Chattanooga in 1935. Sam preceded her in death in 1992 at 81 years old. They lived a fulfilling, intertwined life doing arts, antiques, churchwork and traveling. Elsie started china painting at age 57 after her retirement from TFAB of 27 years. She became a prolific, professional china painter and teacher never charging for her lesson or give away art. Her artworks are spread internationally; she painted her last piece in November 2004. Prior to working, her husband taught her pastel art along with his students. During her working years they also dabbled in ceramics. Elsie was a first-class seamstress and homemaker, talents learned from her mother and 10 siblings; Oklahoma pie baking champion for three years; and won first prizes for jellies, canning, cakes, original salads, tailoring and dresses. Her needlework had the finest thread and stitchery; needlepoint, petti-point, crocheted tablecloths and afghans, cut-work tablecloths and linens, and quilts made from 15 years old to present -- the last was a Baltimore Bride. These talents were passed to her only child, Donna Hoeschen. Her home was always a stop-over to family and friends. At least 13 relatives lived with her for six months to two years. She housed boys from the Tipton Home while they went to college, and many other friends and strangers. She also supported an international child for 16 years. Her generosity is beyond mention. She seldom turned down solicitation for charities of all kinds, but her greatest contribution other than to people's lives was to church and mission work. She was a model woman, Christian, sister, mother, grandmother, great- grandmother, aunt and friend. Survivors: Daughter, Donna Hoeschen and her husband, Ervin; grandsons, Dave Dobson and his wife, Shawna, Dean Dobson and Darin Dobson and his wife, Deidra; great-grandsons, Ty Dobson and Trevor Dobson; sister, Esther Arlen and her husband, Gene; and numerous nieces and nephews. Published in the Star-Telegram on 4/1/2005. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Oklahoma County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/oklahoma/oklahoma.html