Becker, Leo and Elizabeth (Powers)

(Karen Becker May)

Elizabeth Jean was the 5th child of Bertha and Edward Powers. She was born 30 Jan 1912 at Ossian, IA. She graduated from DeSales Catholic High School in 1930. Following graduation she attended the Rochester, MN School of Nursing. She decided she didn't want to continue her schooling and got a job at Clear Lake, IA taking care of the children of a family in that area. There she met Leo Leslie Becker.

Leo and Elizabeth were married 1 Jun 1935 at St. Frances de Sales Catholic Church in Ossian. The Beckers lived in Garner, IA until 1954 when the family moved to Humboldt, IA where Leo worked in a creamery. In 1962 the family moved to New London, IA where Leo became health sanitarian for Des Moines Co. and Beth worked as a technician in a factory. They retired in Humboldt in 1977. Elizabeth died 6 Aug 1990 and Leo died 29 Nov 1979.

Leo and Elizabeth had 5 children: Karen, Michael, Bartholomew, Jill and Kerry.

Karen and her husband Myron C. May farm near Humboldt. They have 3 children: Kathleen Nelson, Jerry and Barbara Messingham. Barbara died 6 Dec 1994. Michael and his wife Jane (Schoonmaker) live at Davenport, IA. They are the parents of Megan and an adopted son Nathan. Bartholomew and his wife Janice (Bennett) live in Humboldt. They have one son Royal. Jill Frances and her husband Edmond Copelin live in Huntington Beach, CA. Their daughter is Michelle Lenae Copelin Huckabaa. Kerry John and his wife Connie (Swann) live in Hoover, AL.

Bekkhus, Amund and Ingeborg (Bergva) “The World and the Waves Before and After Winneshiek County”

(James D. Ruppert)

"Lave” or hay barn on the Bekkhus place
around 1850 when Amund Jorgensen Bekkhus and family emigrated.

Bekkhus (which means “house by a brook’’) lies near Kviteseid and Seljord in Telemark, Norway. Jorgen Olavson Bekkhus was born there in 1775. In 1802 Jorgen married Egelev Olavsdtr. Runningen (b. 1778). She was the daughter of Olav Gunneson Runningen and Bergit Knutsdtr. Lykka. Olav’s parents were Gunne Andreson Runningen (b. about 1719) under Nordgarden in Seljord and Guro Andresdtr. who were married in 1744.

Jorgen and Egelev had 3 children: Olav (b. 1802), Amund (b. 1804) and Gunne Jorgensdtr Bekkhus (b. 1806). Jorgen died in 1846. Jorgen and his sons Olav and Amund worked in the forest high above Bekkhus. One day they worked from early morning until supper time felling trees. One tree remained. Jorgen told Olav and Amund to go back down to Bekkhus for supper and he would follow as soon as he had felled the last tree. Supper was finished, but Jorgen had not returned. The family went up the hillside to look for him. They found the huge fir had fallen on Jorgen and killed him. A cross was set up and his wooden shoes placed on the fallen tree. The shoes remained on the fallen tree until they disappeared sometime before 1975. The place is called “Korsmyr" (cross marsh).

In 1842 Olav married Torhild Olavsdtr Haugestol. In 1843 they moved to Seljord. Two of Olav and Torhild’s children were: Ingebjorg and Egelev. Amund married Ingeborg Halvorsdtr. Bergva (b. 1805, Boe, Telemark) 2 Nov 1837. They had 4 children: Helga (b. 8 Jul 1838), Olaf (b. 11 Apr 1841), Anne (b. 1843) and Jorgen (b. 30 Sep 1846). Helga was baptized at home.

On 24 Aug 1850 the Norwegian ship Helene reached America. It brought Amund Jorgenson Bekkhus, his wife