Joan Becker, 84, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at
St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas surrounded by family and
friends. She was born May 30, 1937, in Nashville, Kansas, the daughter
of Phillip & Elizabeth (Bayer) Becker.
Joan earned her Elementary School Diploma from Kingman County
Public Elementary Schools in St. Leo, Kansas; graduated from Immaculate
Conception High School in Great Bend, Kansas; attended Immaculate
Conception College, Mary Mount College in Salina, Kansas; and earned a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Technology at Sacred Heart College
in Wichita, Kansas on June 1, 1961. Joan also entered the Dominican
Sisters in Great Bend, Kansas in 1952; re-entered laity in 1971, and
became a laity Associate Dominican Sister of Peace in 1984. She began
working as a Lab and X-Ray Technician at St. Rose Hospital in Great
Bend. She then continued her work at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden
City, Kansas before moving to Lamar, Colorado to work at the Dominican
Sisters of the Conception’s Sacred Heart Hospital, known today as the
Prowers County Hospital District. Joan later returned to Garden City
and was employed at Plaza Medical Center for many years until her
retirement.
Joan was a longtime member of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Garden
City and an Associate of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. Her hobbies
included crocheting and working outdoors in her yard, in which she took
great pride. She also loved attending to her flowers, going to the
casino, and visiting the sick.
Survivors include a longtime friend, Cindy Duran; three
sisters-in-law Carolyn Becker, JoAnn Becker, and Agnes Keiss; and many
nieces and nephews. Joan is preceded in death by her parents; and
eleven siblings Jerome, Philip, Emil, John, Alfred, Nicholas, Philomena
Becker, Ruth Becker, Marie Doll, Josephine Kimball, and Elizabeth Ricke.
A Vigil service and Rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May
16, 2022, at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Garden City. Funeral Mass
will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, also at St. Dominic
Catholic Church with Rev. Warren Stecklein as Celebrant. The funeral
Mass may also be viewed on Facebook Live on the Garnand Funeral Home
Facebook page. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery in Garden
City. Friends may call from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday at
Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City. The family suggests memorials
given to the Charities of St. Dominic Catholic Church in care of the
funeral home.