BECKER, Evelyn

Elaine E. Becker (1927-2013) Elaine Evelyn Becker was born on February 4, 1925 in what was no doubt a cold Milwaukee Wisconsin morning to Leona and Earl Shaw. She was the third child of what was to become seven Shaw children. Growing up in Milwaukee, it was never dull living with older sisters Dorothy and June, a soon to appear only brother, Kenny, and three more bouncing beautiful baby Shaw girls: Carole, Joan and Patsy. For most of their lives the immediate Shaw family lived in a comfortable 2-story home on Ninth Street only a few blocks from a “suburban” shopping strip, which in turn was only a short distance from beautiful Lake Michigan. Earl and Leona provided a loving home for all their children. They even provided a home for Leona’s mom, Grandma Steding at the end of her life. Leona provided the German influence which would give Elaine such a strong backbone to go along with Earl’s Scandinavian heritage. As a youngster, Elaine loved winter activities and the cold weather. She especially loved to skate and would continue to miss the cooler weather all the nearly 60 years she would spend in St. Louis. Shortly after Elaine graduated from high school, she volunteered for nurse assistant duties at the Great Lakes Naval Base, just 60 miles north of Chicago. It was near the end of WWII and many naval and marine service men were being flown from the Pacific Front to recuperate from their injuries. Among them was one “thin” and young Navy Corpsman, Melvin Becker. Mel had sustained bullet wounds on Okinawa in June, which by the time he arrived at Great Lakes in September 1945, were fortunately on the mend. We can only imagine that it was love at first sight for Mel. Elaine was a ravishing dark-haired beauty, and he had been away from home for a long time!! On June 26, 1946 they married and Mel stole his beloved Evy away from her Milwaukee home back to St Louis, MO. To this union four children were born: Jack (Tish); Jim, Ed (Sandy), and Barb/Chup (Mark). They proceeded to spend their entire lives making happy memories with their family and their extended family of neighborhood, work, and church friends. In later years, the grandchildren would continue to provide their home with always Christmas like fun and joy! They always provided a home filled with faith, family, love, laughter and good eats and drinks! At the center and head of the home, Elaine held the reins! While Mel climbed the corporate ladder, Elaine kept the ship of home on true course. We kids never wondered where mom was when we came home from school, or played outside in the summer. One of the real gifts to mom occurred when the family moved from Wise Avenue to Florissant in 1956. It was called Air Conditioning! Since then the thermostat in our home never broke above the 70 degree mark, no matter what the season! They lived in that 4-bedroom home until moving to Frontenac in the mid-nineties and 10 years later to St. Charles as they entered into retirement years. She and Mel were fortunate to be able to travel a lot together, during his career at Murphy Company and later during retirement. They traveled to practically every State, Canada, Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. Mel wanted to retire at Eagle Rock, MO; however, Elaine preferred the city! She was a city-girl, but knew how to rough it and loved the great outdoors. She loved to fish, golf, and especially loved her adopted St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves (later Brewers), the Packers, and of course the St. Louis Blues. She and Mel were regular fixtures at most of those teams’ home games for many years. Elaine joined her beloved Mel on September 4, 2013, on the birthday of her late sister, Dorothy, and only 2 days before what would have been Mel’s 88th birthday. They will be reunited forever on September 10th at Jefferson Barrack Cemetery. For all of us they made many beautiful memories and provided sterling examples of lives well lived. Evy, Elaine, mom, and grandma will be greatly missed. But we all know that she will be making a home for us to join her and dad in heaven. Services 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 10th at St. John's United Church of Christ, 945 Wolfrum Road, Weldon Spring, MO. Visitation from 9 - 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church. Interment, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.