Ilene Becker, age 95, of Worthington, died January 16, 2022, in Grand Rapids, MN.  She was born 28 April 1926 in McIntire, IA was one of 4 children of Henry Bernard Haehn and Sarah Cecelia Jordan. She went to Central High School in Minneapolis. Ilene met her husband Eugene Becker at the once-chic Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis, when Ilene sold flowers and Gene worked as a bellhop. They were married 3 September 1949 and lived in Worthington, MN where they had 5 children and spent most of their lives. In retirement they became snowbirds and wintered in Palm Springs, CA. They moved to Pengilly, MN to live with their son Randy and his wife Becky in 2018 and sold the house in Worthington in 2020.

Ilene was an artist, homemaker, and an ophthalmologist technician for Carlson Eye Clinic until 1988. She was President of the Nobles County Art Board and her artistic "claim to fame" was having more pieces stolen from Minnesota art exhibits than any of the other local artists. Ilene has some pieces in permanent collections in Minnesota museums, including a walnut carved torso on permanent display at SMSU in Marshall, MN. She was jokingly referred to as the "woman who could do anything" and helped with countless art projects, including assisting with the stained glass restoration of the Basilica in Minneapolis in the 1940's. Ilene loved world travel and visited China, Portugal, Germany, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Israel. She and Gene were also very involved with the Catholic Church. Ilene was on the bishop's board in the Southern Minnesota Archdiocese, and she taught catechism and was a Eucharistic minister at St Mary's Church in Worthington, MN.

Holidays with Ilene were amazing with decadent meals and huge, magazine-worthy dessert trays. Ilene had a gift for making each of her children and grandchildren feel treasured and loved. She was always happy to encourage everyone's dreams by partnering in their projects, or simply by making a favorite dish. Her family joked that she thought Murphy's Oil Soap was the elixir of life and used it for everything, including possibly her cookies.

Ilene is survived by her husband of 72 years, Eugene Dominic Becker; five children; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Mass will be 11 am Friday, January 20, at St. Mary Catholic Church, in Worthington, officiated by Fr. James Callahan. A time of fellowship will be one hour prior to the

service at the church Friday. Burial of cremains will be in the St. Mary Cemetery.

To livestream the funeral please visit http://www.facebook.com/DingmannFH