Rev. Gilbert Carl Edward Becker

Reverend Gilbert Carl Edward Becker Reverend Gilbert Carl Edward Becker, 97, was called home Sunday morning, August 21, 2016, in Abilene, Texas. He was born March 15, 1919, in Altamont Illinois to Carl Becker and Wilhelmina Priess. He graduated from high school in 1938 and went into the Lutheran ministry. As he tells it, he was dropped off at the seminary by his pastor and had no ride home. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois in 1945. He was ordained in Midland, Texas, where he became the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and helped organize Redeemer Lutheran in neighboring Odessa. In 1946 he married Velma Louise Fletcher. Their marriage was blessed by four children: Jonathan and his wife, Patricia, of Enid, Oklahoma; Ellen and her husband, Reverend Clyde Kieschnick, of Abilene; Carla and her husband, Cary Stelmachowicz, of Leawood, Kansas; and a son, Daniel, who died in 1969. In 1953 the family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where he served as pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church until his retirement. During his ministry he served in many district capacities, among them youth chairman of the Oklahoma District, district board member, and Miami circuit counselor. In 1973 he received the Servus Ecclesia Christi award from Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. He was active as a Lutheran minister for over 70 years. After retirement, he volunteered his time at the church and was delivering Meals on Wheels in Abilene until age 94. He will be remembered for his humble service to others, his keen wit, and his Bible knowledge. He is survived by his three children and their spouses, 10 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and a sister, Ruth Klitzing, of Sadorus, Illinois. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, August 24th at 6:00 p.m. at Zion Lutheran in Abilene. A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 27th at 10:00 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, with interment to follow. Funeral arrangements are being handled by The Hamil Family Funeral Home in Abilene, and Stumpff Funeral Home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Memorials may be sent to Zion Lutheran Church, Abilene; The Lutheran Hour; or Hospice of the Big Country. Online condolences may be submitted at www.HamilFamilyFuneralHome.com or at www.stumpff.org.

Rev. Gilbert Carl Edward Becker

March 15, 1919 - August 21, 2016