LeRoy Gottfried Becker, 82, of Scottsbluff, formerly of Bayard, passed away Tuesday, August 13, 2019 at the Western Nebraska Veteran’s Home in Scottsbluff. His funeral service will be held at 2pm on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at the Community Bible Church in Bayard with Pastor Tom Peyton officiating. Interment will follow at the Bayard Cemetery with military honors rendered by the United States Army, American Legion Post #36 Honor Guard and Bayard VFW Post #2503. Visitation will be Friday, August 16, at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff from 4 – 8pm. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials in LeRoy’s honor be made in care of Navigators c/o Ken and Gretchen Franks acct #180794. Online condolences may be made by viewing Leroy’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
LeRoy Gottfried Becker was born in Ft. Morgan, Colorado on May 14, 1937 to Gottfried and Pauline (Blitz) Becker. While still very young, his family moved to Bayard, Nebraska where he resided for the past 80 years. LeRoy graduated from Bayard High in 1955. He joined the Army where he served as a SSP4 and was stationed in Italy. He was honorably discharged after serving for 4 years. LeRoy made his career as a conductor for the Burlington Northern Railroad for 41 years.
In 1967 LeRoy married Michelene “Mickey” Selby of Scottsbluff. LeRoy built a home for them and they raised their five children there. LeRoy was a loving husband and proud father to Michael, Greg, Gretchen, Heidi, and Stephen. LeRoy was a charter and active member of the Community Bible Church in Bayard. LeRoy bought a farm west of Bayard in the mid 1980s and he made farming a hobby. He owned several head of cattle, too. This hobby kept him busy for many years. LeRoy was interested in his genealogy and spent time researching his ancestors. LeRoy enjoyed traveling and visiting new places. All of his children have fun memories of him taking them on wonderful trips to places like the Black Hills, California, Yellowstone, and Canada. His highlight was a trip to Europe in 2008. He enjoyed spending time with his friends and family and relationships were very important to him. He and Mickey enjoyed spending much time with their 18 grandchildren. In fact, this past June he took his last trip to visit his daughter’s family in Oregon. He was faithful to teach his loved ones to fear the Lord and trust always in Jesus. LeRoy was a man of prayer and always generous to those in need. He was a hard worker.LeRoy and Mickey moved into the Veterans Home in Scottsbluff last month.
LeRoy is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mickey; his five children and their families: Michael and Nancy Becker of Bayard and their son Luke; Greg and Jenianne Becker of Sandpoint, ID and their children Conrad, Samuel, Sylvia, Charles, Novea, and Olivia; Gretchen and Ken Franks of Corvallis, OR and their children Adam and Lillian; Heidi and Simon Jobman of Fort Collins, CO and their children Eli, Sophia, Cooper, Oliver, and Beatrix; Stephen and Krysti Becker of Limon, CO and daughter Skylar and Stephen’s children from his first marriage SteaVen, Salome, Silas, and Soleece. Other survivors include his brother Richard Becker, sisters-in-laws Andrea Cook, Norma and Chuck Cushing, and Georgene and Joe Bennett, and numerous nieces and nephews.
LeRoy is preceded in death by his parents Gottfried and Pauline Becker, his in-laws George and Adeline Selby, his younger sister and brother-in-law Donna and Robert Gehrig, his infant sister Lori Becker, and sister-in-law Janice Becker.
