Darlene L. Becker

Darlene Lucille Becker, 80, of Dubuque, Iowa passed peacefully on May 4th, to join loved ones waiting for her in heaven. Those loved ones included her husband of 50 years, Roger Becker; her parents Ralph & Marcella (Hanson) Kremer; her brother Gene Kremer; her sister Mary Kay Kremer; her brother Ralph Kremer and his wife Regina; as well as her son-in-law Randy Mills.  Numerous other family members on her husband’s side of the family also proceeded her in death as well.

Those that are left behind to grieve her loss and miss her dearly include her children and their spouses: Vickie (Rick) Mills; Daniel (Sue) Becker; Wade (Carla Pfab) Becker; Brenda Mills; Glenn (Lori George) Becker; Doug Becker; Larry Becker; Lisa (Tom) Droullard; Rory (Jenny) Becker; and Angi (Darren) McCarthy. She was smitten with her grandchildren and they adored equally as much. Her grandchildren include: Nathan Mills; Jeremy & Amanda Becker; Kristen (Joe) Parks; Janelle Anderson; Michael Mills; Andrea, Nicholas, & Molli Becker; Zachary & Corey Droullard; Jessica (Travis) Meier; Brianna (Cody) Brimeyer; Justin Becker; and Alex, Carter, & Gavan McCarthy. And as if that many grandchildren to love her wasn’t enough, she was doubly blessed with great grandchildren as well. Her great-grandchildren include: Brooklyn; Madison; Connor; Kameron; Trenton; Aydin; Xzavier; Damari and Romalyn.

Darlene left an impression on those she met. She never was in shortage of conversation and made new friends wherever she went. Her personality shone brighter and stronger than her tiny 4’8’’ stature. She loved being a social butterfly and looked forward to getting out and about as well as having visitors, especially in her last year of life when the independence she so loved alluded her.  She had great love for her family and was devoted to taking care of them in any way she could. This also extended to others she cared about. She was a kind soul with a big heart. Don’t let that fool you though, those that knew her also knew she was spunky and would give you her opinion if you wanted it or not.  As much as we never wanted to admit it, she was often right. Her strong will, determination, and tenacity was as clear as a bright blue sky. If you miss that, you won’t have to look far, as this is something she passed on to her 10 children. She knew a lot about a lot and in a true old-fashioned way tried to solve problems and fix things on her own, with her own hands, skills, knowledge, and life experience. There were many things she loved in life, but her grandchildren and great grandchildren took the cake. She lit up whenever she seen them and had a special bond with each and every one of them. She could always make someone smile, whether it was through chatting with them or making them laugh. I think we are all going to miss that laugh and that smile. She was many things to many people. So much so she had various nicknames from different people including:  Ma Becker, Cotton Candy Grandma, and Doctor Darlene. This little lady was so much more than we can encompass in words. 

In true Darlene form, she desired no wake or funeral service. Her wishes are being honored with a private burial ceremony at Mount Olivet Cemetery for her children and grandchildren.

If you knew our mother, you would know that she left a lasting impression. Thus, we cannot leave it at that and must celebrate who she was with memories and stories.  The family would like to invite all who knew her to a celebration of life ceremony on Saturday June 23rd at the Eagles Club on Century Drive anytime between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at Stonehill Care Center and Hospice of Dubuque for their special care of our mother and support of our family.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.