Helga Esther Becker went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Monday, August 24, 2026, in Winfield, Illinois, at the age of 94.

Helga was born on November 23, 1931, to Franz and Gertrude (Schattner) Kniep in Eudtkau, Ost Prussia. She was the second of four children, born after Erik (who died at 2 years of age), and followed by Herbert and Harald. In 1943, the family was forced to leave their farm because of the approaching danger of World War II, and for 18 months they made a harrowing journey westward.

They found temporary safety in Berlin in 1945, and attempted to carry on with life amid desperate conditions. There Helga and Herbert were part of a thriving, church youth group and at one of the evangelistic services, they each gave their hearts to the Lord Jesus and were baptised. In 1948, the family was able to move further west and settle into a new home and community in Leer, Ostfriesland.

Then in 1950, the family was granted permission to immigrate to the United States, but only Helga and Herbert relocated. However, Helga left with an engagement ring on her finger, and two years later her fiancé, Arnold Becker, joined her in New York. The couple was married after a Sunday morning worship service at Calvary Baptist Church in Brooklyn. The newlyweds immediately left for Waterloo, Iowa, where church acquaintances from Germany welcomed them into their family, and Arnold began in business there.

Helga was a quintessential homemaker and purposefully engaged in her roles as a wife and mother. Her four daughters knew her steady love and were spoiled by her ever-contented presence and activity in the home. She managed the household with domestic excellence, no-nonsense discipline, and routines with her girls that fostered connection and opportunities for instruction.

Helga’s domesticity also reached out into the family’s neighborhood and church community. She and Arnold loved welcoming a variety of people to the family dinner table, and enjoyed hosting Bible studies and youth groups.

The Beckers were active members at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church for all their years in Waterloo, Iowa. Helga enjoyed serving as a third grade Sunday school teacher, an Awana leader, and a deaconess for many years. When her girls were out of the home, she volunteered weekly at the community pregnancy center as a counselor.

Helga’s hobbies were those that began back in her childhood on the farm: cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, embroidery, and gardening. Helga also sprinkled good measures of her fun-loving spirit into her family’s daily life.

At the core of Helga’s life was the Word of God. Her parents and Tante Emma planted those first seeds in her when she was a young child, and in each successive chapter of her life, those seeds grew deeper and deeper roots. God gave her a matter-of-fact, whole-hearted trust in His sovereignty and in Jesus Christ’s love and forgiveness. He also gave her a resolve to live a life of cheerful and determined submission to Him. These were gifts that grounded her life and the lives of those blessed to be part of her household – all the way to the end of her days.

Arnold preceded Helga in death in 2018. She is survived by her four daughters: Becky (Mark) Tink of Waterloo, IA; Dianne (Mark) Chanski of Zeeland, MI; Elizabeth (David) Oster of West Chicago, IL; Margaret Becker of Winfield, IL; thirteen beloved grandchildren and their spouses, and 25 precious, great grandchildren (and counting).

A family memorial service is being planned at College Church Commons in Wheaton, IL, on Friday, September 4, 2026. A private burial will follow in Waterloo, IA, on Saturday, September 5, with a public visitation, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., at Locke Funeral Home, 4140 Kimball Avenue, Waterloo, IA 50701.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to Cedar Ridge Christian School or The Charles Simeon Trust.