Roger Becker, 1969

ROGER BECKER, age 64 of New Hampton, died Sunday Jan. 29, 2012, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Memorial services were held Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Trinity Lutheran Church, New Hampton with Pastor Kevin Frey presiding. His body has been donated to the University of Minnesota. If so desired, memorials may be directed to the Roger Vernon Becker Music Fund. Online condolences for Roger's family may be left at www.hugebackfuneralhome.com Roger Vernon Becker was born May 26, 1947, the son of Vernon and Dorothy (Wolfe) Becker. He grew up in Lost Nation and lived and worked his entire life in Iowa. He graduated from Lost Nation Community High School in 1965 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education from Luther College in 1969. He married DONNA (SCHNEIDER) BECKER ’70 on Aug. 2, 1969, in Mt. Prospect, Ill. His band directing career began at South Winneshiek High School (Calmar), teaching from 1969-77. The family moved to a farm in Preston, and he directed the band program for the Preston Community Schools from 1977-86. The family then moved to New Hampton where he taught high school band for the New Hampton Community Schools from 1986-2009. Upon retirement in 2009, he then took on the role of lay minister for Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton until the time of his death. Roger had many interests, hobbies and activities. He cheered for the Cubs and Packers; enjoyed carpentry, woodworking, creating instrument lamps, farming, teaching piano lessons, tuning pianos, photography, playing and singing music; was a member of church councils, vocal groups, saddle clubs, the Lucky 7 Dixieland Jazz Band, the New Horizons Band, the Greater Waverly Municipal Band, the Iowa Ambassadors of Music, the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association, the Iowa Bandmasters Association, etc. He was recognized for serving as an advisor for the National Honor Society for 15 years by New Hampton High School and his 40 years of teaching by the Iowa High School Music Association. He currently was a member of the New Hampton Community School District Board of Education. Roger is survived by his wife, DONNA (SCHNEIDER) BECKER ‘70; one son, Joel (Joy) Becker of Waverly; three daughters, Jana (Shawn) Moser of Palmer, Ark., Sara Snowden (Kurt Grossmann) of Columbus, Ohio and Sheryn (Jacob) Boos of Cedar Falls; eight grandchildren; one sister, JANET (BECKER) SWISTON ‘66 (Dean) of Stevens Point; two brothers, Kevin (Vicki) Becker of DeWitt, and Neal (Sue) Becker of Davenport; and his mother-in-law, Fern Schneider of New Hampton. He was preceded in death by his parents; two infant brothers, Paul and Don Becker; his father-in-law, Vernon Schneider; and one nephew, Kandon Becker.

Roger Becker