Ruth L. (Stanius) Becklin

            Ruth Leone (Stanius) Becklin, 87, passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease on Wednesday, April 14th with family by her side.  She was the youngest child of Robert and Sophia Stanius born just 25 minutes after her twin brother, Robert Lee, in a bedroom of the Stanius homestead in rural Isanti.  Ruth proudly declared herself a “farmer’s daughter” although she would be the first to admit she rarely did anything around the farm.  But it was on the farm, that she learned the important lessons of hard work, organization (a place for everything and everything in its place), and tenacity.  The extended Stanius family would often return to their roots at the “Century Farm” homestead so Ruth grew up cherishing her aunts, uncles and cousins.  Ruth’s mother died when she was 13 years old, so these extended family relationships were especially important.

            She attended Oxlip School through 8th grade and graduated from Cambridge High School where she was elected the “Class of 1952” homecoming queen. She met Donn Becklin while roller skating at Barr’s Resort on Spectacle Lake.  On the day she graduated from Cambridge High School, Donn proposed to her and on June 6, 1953 they were married at Cambridge Lutheran Church.

            As a young married couple, Ruth and Donn lived in Minneapolis and Ruth worked at General Mills and later at Dayton’s where she developed a keen sense of fashion.  In 1962 they returned to the Cambridge area to raise their three children, Vicki, Glori, and Craig.  Their new home on Cypress Street was an ideal place for the kids to grow up with Becklin family and lots of friends in the neighborhood.  When Craig started kindergarten, Ruth went to work as a teller at the Cambridge Credit Union (now Minnco Credit Union) for her father-in-law, Paul R. Becklin.  She retired from the Credit Union as a loan secretary having worked there for over three decades.  Many remember Ruth from her days at the Credit Union as a “classy woman” …dressed to perfection and kind and considerate to all patrons.

            Although Ruth would say “there’s no place like home,” she traveled to Japan to visit her daughter and son-in-law who were living there, went on a European river cruise with her sister Marge, spent winters in Florida, and visited family throughout the United States. She loved to dance, count the church offering Monday mornings, celebrate Christmas, gather with friends at Herman’s Bakery, play solitaire, and decorate her home.  Her unwavering faith and a deep commitment to the church were paramount in her life and she would be willing to do whatever needed to be done at the church. 

            Ruth was a devoted wife, loving mother but the role she most delighted in was “Grandma” to the six grandchildren she adored. Ruth is survived by her sister Marge Stake, daughter Vicki (Larry) Ostrom, son Craig (Janet) Becklin, and son-in-law Craig Sundberg and her grandchildren Erik (Shujun) Ostrom, Bjork (Lindsay) Ostrom, Leif (Victoria) Sundberg, Christopher (Jamie) Becklin, Matthew and Megan Becklin and six great-grandchildren, Victoria Ostrom, Solvi and Lena Ostrom, Alden and Cora Becklin, and Linus Sundberg.  She was preceded in death by her husband Donn, parents, sister AnnaMae Gahlon, twin brother Robert Lee, daughter Glori and great-grandson Afton.

                As a family, we are very grateful for the generous love and thoughtful care of our Mom from the staff at Prairie Senior Cottages (Isanti) and St Croix Hospice. Memorials preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association or Isanti County Historical Society.

         A Visitation will be held from 4-6PM, Friday, April 30, 2021 at Cambridge Lutheran Church in Horizon Commons.  A Memorial Service will follow in the church sanctuary at 6:30 PM.  Interment in the church cemetery.  The service will be livestreamed via Cambridge Lutheran Church and Carlson-Lillemoen Funeral Home & Cremation Services Facebook pages.

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