MARGARET ELIZABETH “BETTIE” BECKNER, OF HIGH RIVER, ALBERTA PASSED AWAY JUNE 11, 1998 AT HIGH RIVER , ALBERTA AT THE AGE OF 74 YEARS.
BETTIE WAS BORN MARCH 14, 1924 AT VICTORIA, B.C. TO THOMAS AND LAURA SUTHERLAND. SHE ATTENDED SCHOOL AT GRIFFIN AND MILO WHERE SHE RODE HER SHETLAND PONY TO ROUND UP CATTLE AND TO SCHOOL. SHE ALSO ATTENDED ST. MARY’S CONVENT IN CALGARY FOR TWO YEARS. AFTER SHE FINISHED SCHOOL AT AGE SIXTEEN, SHE RETURNED TO MILO TO WORK WITH HER FATHER WHOM SHE RESPECTED AND HELD MOST HIGH. HE WORKED WITH HORSES AND TAUGHT HER HOW TO RESPECT THE LAND, IT WAS SAID SHE COULD OPERATE ANYTHING. IN 1942 SHE MARRIED DANA FRANCIS “BILL” BECKNER AND THEY MOVED TO WORK IN HIGH RIVER. THEY RETURNED TO FARM IN THE MILO AREA IN 1948 WHERE SHE RAISED HER CHILDREN. BETTIE WAS A HARD WORKER, LOVED THE LAND AND RAISED BOTH COMMERCIAL AND PUREBRED HERFORD CATTLE.
BETTIE RETIRED AND MOVED TO HIGH RIVER WHERE SHE HAS RESIDED FOR THE PAST ELEVEN YEARS.
BETTIE WAS A MEMBER OF THE HOME AND SCHOOL AND WAS AN AVID SUPPORTER OF THE LIBERTY SCHOOL AS WELL AS KEEPING THE HIGH SCHOOL IN MILO, SHE WAS A PAST MEMBER OF THE REBEKAH LODGE.
BETTIE LOVED HER FAMILY ESPECIALLY HER GRANDCHILDREN. SHE WAS AN EXCELLENT COOK AND WAS MOST APPRECIATED FOR HER CHOCOLATE CHIFFON AND HER HUNGARIAN CAKES. SHE ALSO ENJOYED CROSSWORD PUZZLES, READING, FLOWERS, WORKING WITH PLANTS, WATCHING THEM GROW, AND TIME ALONE, SOLITUDE WAS VERY SPECIAL TO HER. SHE HAD A COLLECTION OF OWL FIGURINES.
BETTIE WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL IN HER LATER YEARS TO ENGLAND, FLORIDA, AUSTRALIA AND IN 1987 SHE RETURNED TO THE PLACE OF HER FATHER’S BIRTH, ORKNEY, ISLANDS, WHICH WAS STILL STANDING AND LIVED IN.
BELOVED MOTHER OF A DAUGHTER KAREN (BOB) KUNKEL OF LETHBRIDGE, TWO SONS JOHN AND PETER (VIRGINIA) ALL OF MILO, FOUR GRANDCHILDREN DAN (SHERRY) KUNKEL OF BLACKIE, CHRISTINE DAVIES OF VULCAN, BRANDY BECKNER (HER FRIEND BARRY MENSINGER) OF LOMOND AND DAVID BECKNER OF MILO, SIX GREAT GRAND-CHILDREN DANA, CODY, BLAINE, WILLIAM, DUSTIN AND STEPHANIE, A BROTHER JACK (SYLVIA) SUTHERLAND OF MILO, NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
BETTIE WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND BILL IN 1981, AN INFANT DAUGHTER IN 1947 AND HER PARENTS.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE SATURDAY JUNE 13, 1998 AT 1:30 P.M. AT MILO COMMUNITY HALL WITH DON HOLMES L.M. OFFICIATING.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN BETTIE’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO EITHER S.T.A.R.S. 1441 AVIATION PARK N.E. BOX 570 CALGARY, T2E 8M7 OF THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE.
ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME, DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 1-403-485-2633.