Rev. Donald H. Becker, 81, of rural Gibbon, passed away on Friday, November 29, 2024 surrounded by his family at his home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 2, 2024 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Minden with Rev. William Zwick and Rev. Russ Sommerfeld officiating. The service will be streamed to the church's YouTube page. Interment will be held later that day at 3:00 p.m. at the Minden Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, 2024 at Craig Funeral Home in Minden. Memorials in Don's honor are kindly suggested to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Minden, the Mary Lanning Healthcare - Morrison Cancer Center in Hastings, or to AseraCare Hospice in Kearney. Arrangements are under the care of Craig Funeral Home in Minden.

Donald Harold Becker was born July 16, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second son of five born to Harold and Evelyn Becker. In August of 1943, he became a child of God through baptism at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Illinois. The family then moved to River Grove, Illinois in 1950. He was confirmed on May 5th, 1957 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in River Grove, Illinois. Don graduated from River Grove Public School in 1957, then attended Leyden High School for his freshman and sophomore years. In the summer of 1959, he attended a Career Day at Concordia Teachers' College which led to his decision to attend Concordia High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and begin the process of answering his calling to become a Lutheran minister.

After high school, he attended Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he completed his pre-seminary training. While there, he was on the Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran Cadets basketball team. Through basketball, he met his future wife Sandy who was attending the Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing. The all-men's college relied on the nursing school to provide cheerleaders for their games. While attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, he played basketball in his freshman and sophomore years and coached an intramural basketball team to the championship. Later in 2017 he was inducted into the Concordia Falcons Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sandy and Don were married on August 19, 1967 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The day after their wedding, they left for Don's vicarage in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he served for one year. Returning to St. Louis, he completed his theological education and graduated from the Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree on May 30, 1969. After Seminary in St. Louis, he was then called to serve at Zion Lutheran Church in Burley, Idaho. In Burley, they welcomed the birth of their first two daughters, Andrea Lynn in 1970 and Jennifer Marie in 1972. He served this parish for five years before accepting the call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Minden, Nebraska. One month after their arrival in Minden, they welcomed daughter number three, Heather Sue.

In addition to ministering to the church of St. Paul, Don and Sandy became foster parents in 1980, serving over 40 children ranging from infants to teenagers. Don was active in the Minden community volunteering as well, serving with the Head Start Program, Rotary, The Teammates Program, and Literacy Links at East Elementary School. He was a committed blood donor, with his total lifetime donations exceeding 8 gallons. In June of 2014, Don retired from 45 years in the ministry and 40 years serving St. Paul Lutheran Church.

After retirement, he continued God's work serving as interim pastor and filling vacancies throughout Nebraska in Cambridge, Ravenna, Curtis, Arapaho, Elwood, Loup City, Merna, Holdrege, Shelton, Grand Island, Blue Hill, and Wood River. In 2002, Don and Sandy fulfilled their dream of owning "a property that he could park a boat in front of" and purchased a small cabin at El Charman Lake near Gibbon, Nebraska. They later renovated it so that it could live up to its full potential and become their final residence. They permanently moved into the cabin in 2021. It is here that their children, grandchildren, granddogs, and extended family could come to fish, boat, swim, catch up, and, most importantly, unwind.

Don's passions were numerous including: baiting hooks with worms, untangling fishing lines, casting for largemouth bass, fly-fishing for bluegills, the smell of burning leaves in the fall, the taste of apple pie or apple crisp, model railroading, trains, maintenance at the El Charman cabin, the care of the many dogs, cats, and animals that frequented his residences, his Friday morning men's Bible study, and visiting with others.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first-born infant brother; brothers, Russel (Chris) Becker, and Milton Becker; great-nephew, Luke Becker; and sister-in-law, Cathy Becker.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Sandy Becker of rural Gibbon; daughters Andrea (Sergio) Loya-Perez of Kearney, NE; Jenny (Rob) Hultquist of Heartwell, NE; Dr. Heather Becker of Colorado Springs, CO; grandchildren, Drew (Katie) Hultquist of Morrill, NE; Vanessa Loya-Perez of Omaha, NE; Nathan Hultquist of Heartwell, NE; Maria Loya-Perez of Lincoln, NE; Sarah Hultquist of Heartwell, NE; and Sergio Loya-Perez Jr. of Kearney, NE; great-granddaughter, Kendal Hultquist (Drew and Katie) of Morrill, NE; brother, Wes (Laurie) Becker of Wheaton, IL; sister-in-law, Kathy Becker of Anderson, SC; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, extended relatives and close friends.

Tributes and memories can be shared with the family at www.craigfunerals.com .