- Erwin Becker was born June 1, 1926, in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Erwin was the third child of Paul and Claire Becker. In 1929 the family moved to the farm near Codette, Saskatchewan.
Erv went to school at Inkster School, just a short quarter mile walk from the farm.
In 1949 he bought his first quarter of land and started his own farm just a few miles from his parents. He worked in the bush those first few winters.
Erv married Marjorie Hastey on January 6, 1954. Marjorie and Erv grew up on adjoining farms. Their love story began when Marj was only 10 years old when she started dreaming of marrying the fun-loving friend of her brother, Tom.
They moved to the farm and lived first in the small house Erv had built before they were married and eventually to the new bigger house he built over several years. They had four children, Paulette, Patricia, Brian and Darrel. The years were busy raising the family, 4-H, camping, swimming lessons, vacation bible school.
Over the years he grew the farm, clearing land, picking roots, raising cattle, milking cows, buying more land, picking more roots. …
As the years went by, he started carpentering for hire. He built many houses in the Nipawin area for friends and family. He was very proud of every house he built and kept a photo album with pictures of each. He built every building on the home quarter. He was a master of upcycling – tearing down old buildings in the area board by board and creating a new building from the materials he salvaged.
Erv was a man of many talents as well as farming and carpentering, in his early years he sang in the Lutheran Church Choir. He loved to dance – two step, square dance, polka, you name it, he loved them all and danced his entire life.
He loved animals especially dogs and dogs loved him. He very much enjoyed the visits in the Nursing Home with Brownie, Darrel’s little dog.
Erv rented his farmland out in 1997 and together with Marj theystarted their new venture, the antique business, Becker’s Barn known far and wide. Erv loved auction sales, loved people and reminiscing.
He gathered up all the cast iron seats he had collected over the years, painted them every color of the rainbow and displayed them in one of the three antique barns he built. He was very proud of his collection. He subscribed to the Cast Iron Seat Collectors Magazine, read every issue from cover to cover and kept every one of them.
Also, in retirement Erv and Marj took up golfing and RVing. They golfed many rounds at Pasquia Park often with brother Earl and his wife Lorraine. They were on a mission to visit as many courses in Saskatchewan and beyond as they could.
They visited Hawaii with brother Cliff and his wife Ardell and sister Edith and her husband Ken Kalk. Also, over the years Erv and Marj travelled to Arizona, California, Victoria, and Toronto.
In 2013 Erv and Marj purchased a house in Nipawin. For the next 5 years they went to Nipawin (also known as “North for the winter”!) and spent the summers at the farm.
In 2018 they moved to Pasquia Place in Carrot River and finally the last couple of years, Erv was at the Carrot River Nursing Home where he passed away peacefully April 29, 2022 with Marj and Paulette at his side.
The family are very grateful for the caring staff at the Carrot River Nursing Home and would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone there for the wonderful compassionate care they gave Erv.
Erv was predeceased by his parents, his sister Ethel (Tom Marshall), his brother Cliff, Marj’s parents and her brother Tom and sister Ruth, his daughter, Patricia Ward, and his granddaughter, Sheila Dmyterko (Scott).
Left to treasure his memory are his wife of 68 years Marj, daughter Paulette (Don), son Brian (Dayle) and son Darrel; 7 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Also, his sister Edith (Kalk) and brother Earl (Lorraine).
Erwin Becker
June 01, 1926
April 29, 2022
- In Loving Memory