Elizabeth Becker Koehn

Our precious mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Elizabeth Becker Koehn, departed this earthly life for her eternal reward on May 16, 2020, at Oakwood Manor, Brooksville, Mississippi, due to complications of  Addison’s Disease. She reached the ripe old age of 96. A graveside service was held on Sunday, May 17, 2020 at South Haven Mennonite Cemetery in Macon, MS.  Cockrell Funeral Home was honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Mother was born at her home at Galva, Kansas to David and Nettie Unruh Becker on March 7, 1924, being the next to the youngest of eight children. She walked to school with her siblings and received her eight years of education at Farm School.  She gave her heart to Jesus and was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, Galva, Kansas, by Min. Jesse Johnson, at the age of fifteen, remaining true to her vows to the end. We often saw her with the open Bible beside her chair.

On June 3, 1945, Mom and Dad joined hands in marriage, again at Galva, Kansas, by Min. Jesse Johnson. They began their fifty-eight years together on the Simon Koehn home place enjoying the farm life. In 1957, they moved to Almena, Wisconsin, where they enjoyed very happy years dairying and helping to form the newly established congregation.  With disappointment, because of Dad’s health, they moved back to Kansas in 1961, making their home at Hesston. In 1964, the landforming opportunities opened at Clarksdale, Mississippi, and our family moved again.  A new congregation in a farming community was forming at Macon,  Mississippi, and we moved in 1966, where they spent the rest of their days. Dad passed away in 2003 after a tragic accident. In her loneliness, Mom moved first to a cottage at Oakwood Manor and then was the first resident to enter the newly constructed assisted living facility where she spent ten happy years enjoying their wonderful care.

We remember Mom’s easy laugh. Dad and Mom loved their many nieces and nephews and traveling to visit them. She loved cooking delicious meals and having friends and family to share them with. Having lived in three new congregations, she had many opportunities to practice true hospitality which she freely did with folks traveling through as well as in the congregation.  She loved beautiful flowers and they seemed to thrive with her green thumb.  Her children and grandchildren were special to her and she was always very interested in their lives.  We appreciate her steady Christian walk. Recently when asked by a revival minister about what she thought about the Lord, she answered, “I talk to Him.”  We believe she was ready to meet her Maker.

Sharing fond memories are two sons: Vaughn Dale, Newton, Kansas; Bob and Kathy, Mize, Mississippi; one daughter, Dianne and Keith Nightingale, Macon, Mississippi, presently residing in Surprise, Arizona; nine grandchildren and their spouses; thirty five great-grandchildren; one great- great-grandchild; two sisters-in-law: Rosa Holdeman and Juanita Koehn, both of Moundridge, Kansas and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death are her husband, three brothers and four sisters and their spouses, seven brothers-in law and five sisters-in-law.