Betty Claire Becker

Betty Becker passed away on December 2nd after a long and terrible struggle with dementia. She was 96 years old. Her story can not be told in a few short paragraphs. She was a very intelligent active and loving person and will be greatly missed by all her family. Her cheerful nature and kind disposition stuck with her through the years of decline and decent into dementia. She never lost her smile though she forgot who all her family were she still seemed happy to have them around.

She was Born Betty Claire Bucher on Friday April 13th 1928 at home in Waterville Ohio to Benjamin Franklin Bucher (Frank) and Wealthy May Bucher. Her mother was descended from the original settlers of Waterville and her fathers family had lived in the Whitehouse area forever. She had 2 sister 10 and 12 years older then her and she always said she thought her parents were not really planning another child though she said she always felt very wanted and loved by her parents.

Betty attended and graduated Waterville high school in 1946 where her nickname was Betty Boop. She then went to Bowling Green State University (BGSU)graduating with a degree in Medical Technology. She always said she really wanted to be a doctor but felt that as a woman it would be to hard to get into med school.

At BGSU she met her future husband Joe Dale Becker and they were married June 28th 1953. They settled in Waterville at 115 Farnsworth Rd a house her grandparents had built to retire in and she inherited it from them in 1933 when they passed away. They lived there till 1967 when they moved to her mothers farm (the Isham Farm) at 8460 Anthony Wayne trail. In 1995 she and Joe retired and moved to North Carolina to be near daughter Jodie and to spoil their grandson Jeremy. They were married 63 years till Joe passed away in 2016. She worked for a few years at a Maumee Valley hospital then started her own business (Becker Clinical Labs) in her house in Waterville. After losing a premature baby in 1955 she gave up the business as the doctor though she needed to be less active to carry a baby to term. She went on to have 3 children who survive her. When her children were off to school she got her teaching certificate and began teaching Physiology and Human Anatomy at Anthony Wayne High school. At one point she and Joe taught in adjoining rooms at AWHS. She then tried a spell as dean of girls at AWHS but became frustrated at how hard it was to keep girls in line. She went back to teaching for a while teaching basic science. She then got out of teaching and went to work for the American Red Cross in Toledo in the blood lab processing blood from donations. To get closer to home she took a job on the night shift at St Lukes for a couple years then in semi retirement then she went to work at the University of Toledo teaching medical terminology at nights. Not one to ever really quit working she worked on the 2000 census as a supervisor.

She was a long time member Waterville United Methodist church (UMC) Most recently attending Mt Ollivet UMC in North Carolina where she was in the choir until the dementia made it impossible for her.

Betty loved to cook and her pies were legend in the family.

She would can and freeze foods from the garden in quantity for the family to survive the winter. She was the one who was always planning and in 2003 she planned a cruise from Alaska to Vancouver BC with all the kids, spouses and some grandkids, to celebrate 50 years of marriage.

She was predeceased by her Mother and Father, her premature baby boy she named Tory, Brothers in law Gene Schufelt, Forest Aldrich and David Campbell, her sisters Marjorie Campbell and Helen Aldrich, Sister in law Louis Becker, Nephew Franklin Aldrich, and Husband Joe Becker.

She is survived by her brother in law John Richard Becker in Terra Haute IN, Niece Julia Becker and Nephew John Becker. Son Gene Becker of Duluth MN, son David (Susan) Becker of Seattle WA, Daughter Jodie (James) Abbott of Winston Salem NC. Grandchildren Jeremy (Beth) Abbott of High Point NC, Amanda (Alex) Govze Eagan MN, Benjamin (Jess) Becker, Duluth MN, Joshua Becker, Joseph (Little Joe) Becker of Seattle WA and Isaac (Christina) Becker Yakima WA. She has 10 great grandchildren, Ryan. Toby and Lucy Abbot of High Point NC, Lia and Blake Govze Eagan MN, Leo and Cora Becker or Duluth MN, and Stephen and James and Rebecca Becker of Spokane WA.

The family wishes to extend a sincere thank you to Lelonnie and Brandon Sandy and the Ashley family for their 10 years of outstanding, love care to their nana!

A visitation will be held at Davidson Funeral Home Hickory Tree Chapel on Thursday December 5th, 2024; from 7pm-9pm.

Further services are to be determined Internment will follow at Highland Memory Gardens in a plot that adjoins the Isham farm she loved so much.

Davidson Funeral Home Hickory Tree Chapel is serving the family.