Otto J. Becker,  92, of Kimball, died Monday Jan. 8, 2018, at VA Medical Center in St. Cloud.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 23, 2018, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball with visitation one hour prior to the service. The Rev. David Milz will officiate. Burial will take place in the spring at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls.

Otto Becker was born July 26, 1925, in Elysian to August and Frieda (Otto) Becker. He grew up on a farm near Brewster. He helped at the family’s general store when he was old enough, starting in slaughtering and meat processing. Otto graduated from Brewster High School, where he especially enjoyed industrial arts and band.

He enlisted into the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Station as a butcher during World War II. While there, he met Charlene Smith, who was also serving. They were married on Aug. 17, 1946, in Beloit, Wisconsin.

He then attended Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis for refrigeration engineering. Otto lived most of his life in Albert Lea, where he worked as a boiler room engineer for Wilson & Co. Meat Packing and Farmstead. He also owned Becker’s Sanitation Service in Albert Lea.

Otto had a call to serve. Locally, he was active in Boy Scouts, church groups and the Albert Lea Kiwanis Club. He helped at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, including major restoration of some of the buildings. He gave rides to medical appointments at the Minneapolis VA and Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Nationally, Otto and Charlene worked as volunteers at national parks and monuments, including Bandelier, New Mexico; Ocracoke, North Carolina; and Great Smokie Mountains. Otto went to Liberia, Africa ,to do mission work at a church school.

He had a love of travel; after many trips within the United States, Otto and Charlene also spent time in 56 other countries. He enjoyed camping and downhill skiing. He had a love of woodworking and built many pieces of furniture. If you needed to find Otto, you only needed to go to his workshop.

Otto will be missed by his family and friends who are left with rich memories of him.

Otto is survived by children James (Martha) Becker of Danville, Vermont, and Patricia (Russell) Robb of Kimball; grandchildren Shawn (Kerri Ann) Robb, Trevor (Emily) Becker and Lizzy (Kevin) Bush; six great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; two nephews; a niece; and many cousins.

He will join in heaven his wife of over 70 years, Charlene, his parents, a sister and a niece.

His family would like to extend a special thank you to the St. Cloud VA staff for their care.

The urn bearers will be Shawn and Kerri Ann Robb.

Arrangements are entrusted with Dingmann Funeral Care Burial & Cremation Services of Kimball.