Mrs. Becky J. Stephenson, age 69, of Anita, IA, passed away at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE.
Becky Jo Christensen was born in Atlantic, Iowa, on March 9, 1955, to Arthur and Viola (Miller) Christensen of Wiota, Iowa. She grew up in Wiota and attended school in Anita. Later, she obtained her GED.
Becky married Lynn Stephenson of Anita, Iowa, on December 4, 1971, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Atlantic, Iowa. Three children were born to this union: Christopher, Corey, and Andrea. They were her pride and joy. If asked, she would be happy to talk about her kids and what they were doing.
Becky had many jobs over the years. To name a few, she worked for the nursing home in Anita and also the floral shop in Anita. However, the job Becky enjoyed and retired from was as a cook at the Anita Elementary School. She enjoyed seeing the kids each day.
Becky enjoyed gardening and ensuring her yard was full of plants and flowers. One thing she was big on was the color of her flower beds. She didn’t care what they were; it just had to have lots of color. She also enjoyed cooking, baking, and being involved with her church, as her faith was important to her.
Becky’s pride and joy were all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You would find Becky in the stands or on the sidelines of a ball field, cheering on her grandchildren. Grandma’s house would be the house to go to after school for a snack before practice. Becky enjoyed having her grandchildren stop by and have their friends with them. She always had bars or some snacks ready for them. As the grandchildren got older, grandma’s house became the house to get ready for dances. Then, it became the house for prom pictures and sleepovers after prom. Grandma Becky welcomed it all with open arms. She enjoyed every minute of it. Becky also enjoyed watching her youngest granddaughter, Addison, do gymnastics and other activities. Becky would always say how incredibly proud she was of Addison for challenging herself to learn something new.
Becky and Lynn bought a second winter home down in Mission, Texas. Becky enjoyed being away from the cold but missed her family. Over the years of being in Texas, Lynn and Becky have joined several friends, playing cards and many other activities. They would welcome all family who would travel down to visit.
In 2017, Becky was diagnosed with NETs cancer. She battled this long before her official diagnosis, in conjunction with diabetes. With the cancer and diabetes, Becky eventually had congestive heart failure, which led to further complications later on.
Becky was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Viola Christensen, and her father and mother-in-law, Max and Martha Stephenson, and many aunts and uncles.
Becky is survived by her husband of 52 years, Lynn; sons, Chris (Lisa) Stephenson of Anita, Corey (Tammy) Stephenson of Anita, and daughter, Andrea Goins (Lindsey Jackson) of DeSoto; Grandchildren, Kelsey (Devan) Amdor of Cumberland, Kourtnie Stephenson of Los Angeles, California, Shelby Stephenson (Jesiah Wipf) of Anita, Seth Stephenson of Anita, Tyler (Grace) McAfee of Anita; great-grandchildren, Cooper Amdor, Brinley Amdor, Coy Amdor, Trice Stephenson, Miles McAfee; Brother, Howard (Twila) Christensen; nephews, Troy (Kristin) Christensen, Trevor (Kristi) Christensen; sister-in-law Norma (Mitch) Okada; nephew Kelby (Nao) Okada. Becky was blessed with many friends and will be deeply missed.
Public visitation with the family will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2024, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic, IA.
The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic, IA, with Pastor Russ Hansen officiating the service. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Anita. A luncheon will be held following the committal at the Anita Community Center.
Memorials may be directed to the Becky Stephenson Memorial Fund. They will be designated to many of her favorite local organizations and charities and may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.
Funeral arrangements are handled by the Schmidt Family Funeral Home.
