Richard Christian Becker

Lilah Crowe2021-08-10T15:49:34-05:00

Name: Richard Christian Becker
Location of Birth: Acton, North Dakota
Date of Birth: November 12, 1889
Date of Death: July 7, 1918
Parents: George Becker & Charlotta (Schumacher) Becker
High School and Class:
College:
Highest Rank: PVT (Private)
Branch: Army
Other Branch:
Date Sworn In:
Place Sworn In:
Date of Discharge:
Place of Discharge:
Military Awards:

Military Highlights:
World War I Registration Card – 1917-1918
Name: Richard Christian Becker
Age: 27
Home Address: Cohasset, Itasca County, Minnesota
Date of Birth: November 12, 1889
Citizenship: Natural born
Place of Birth: Acton, North Dakota
Citizen of other Country: -----
Present Occupation: Farmer
Employer: George Becker
Dependents: -----
Marital Status: Single
Race: Caucasion
Previous Military Service: -----
Claim exemption from draft: Manager of home farm
Tall, medium or short: Tall
Slender, medium or stout: Medium
Color of eyes: Brown
Color of hair: Brown
Bald? -----
Any disability: -----
Date of registration: June 5, 1917
Place of registration: Bass Brook, Itasca County, Minnesota

Newspaper article: Grand Rapids Herald-Review, Grand Rapids, Minnesota - July 31, 1918
"RICHARD C. BECKER DIES IN SERVICE - Military Funeral at Grand Rapids Yesterday - Last Rites for Soldier
Richard C. Becker, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Becker of Cohasset, was buried with military honors in Grand Rapids yesterday afternoon. Word of his death was received last week. Death occurred on July 7th on board a transport which was bound for overseas duty. The cause was spinal meningitis with which he suffered for two days. The body was brought to Hoboken, New Jersey, and accompanied here by Sergeant J. Brenner of the National army forces in New Jersey. The body arrived Sunday night and on its arrival, arrangements were made for a military funeral, in which the Grand Rapids Home Guards and the Coleraine band took part. The services were at the Armory here and were attended by hundreds of people who paid tribute to the deceased and to the cause for which he died. Rev. H. E. Klinkenberg of the English Lutheran church preached the sermon and burial was in the Grand Rapids cemetery. The deceased is survived by his parents, four brothers and four sisters.
Richard Becker was 28 years of age. He was born in North Dakota and lived in this community most of his life. He attended the schools of District No. 1 and left Grand Rapids some months ago for military service at Camp Dodge. On completing there, he left for France. As a tribute to the memory of the young soldier and as a comfort to his parents and friends, the members of Co. B, 55th Engineers sent the following message to the father and mother:
“On Board Ship, July 12, 1918.
You have probably been notified of the untimely death of your son while enroute to France in the service of his country. While it may not be in our power to comfort you, we do wish to extend to you that sincere sympathy which is felt by this body of men which has lost one of their members, after having come to know and like him as a good soldier and a loyal friend.
His loss will cause for you, as it has caused for us, that inevitable grief which is the entail of death in any form. But do not let that grief overwhelm you. Consider that, although Richard is dead as men say, yet he has left with us his high ideals of service and his spirit of cheerful acceptance of unusual conditions.
As a body, we send to you our sympathy, with the hope that you will be enabled to see the light behind the cloud in the
ultimate victory of the cause for which your son as surely died as if he had been killed in battle, and for which cause it is for us to continue, as would Richard if he were with us in person.
In condolence with you, we rest. Sincerely, Men of Co. B.”

Wars Involved:
World War I

MIA / POW:

Civilian Life:
Buried in Itasca Calvary Cemetery at Grand Rapids, Minnesota. (Plot I-A-26-0-1)

Tribal Affiliation(s):