Funeral services for Darlene Louise Beck, 92, of Rockford, IL and formerly of Chebanse, IL will be on Saturday, January 15th at the Knapp Funeral Home in Clifton, IL – Visitation 11-1, Services at 1:30. Reverend Joel Brown will officiate. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Chebanse. The family requests memorials in Darlene’s name for the Evergreen Cemetery Association. Mrs. Beck went home to be with her Heavenly Father on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at her daughter’s home in the care of her loving family.
Darlene was born on July 1, 1929 in Chebanse, IL to Oscar and June Hansen. Upon her death, she was the matriarch, as the oldest living member of her family. Darlene was the second child and oldest daughter, a loving sister to her 10 brothers and sisters – a role she cherished more every year of her life. She married William R Beck on March 18, 1950, and they were married just shy of 63 years at William’s death January 23, 2013. Surviving Darlene are daughter and son-in-law Tami and Dan Rezin of Rockford, IL and two sons and daughter-in laws, Tim and Gayle Beck of Eagle, WI and Bill and Jean Beck of Palmyra, WI. Darlene had grandchildren Phillip (Amanda), William (Emily), Jenae, Callie (Tyler), Rachel (Paul), Betsy, Tim, Garrett (Hannah) and great grandchildren Addison, Hadley, Lily, Brielle, Calvin, Cameron and Sullivan. Also surviving Darlene are siblings Merritt Hansen, Marilyn Yohnka, Carolyn Cox, Bobby Gray (John), Jack Hansen (Martha), Susan Larsen (David), Peggy Mattox (Bill) and numerous nieces, nephews, great and great, great nieces and nephews. Besides her parents and husband, Darlene was preceded in death by her brothers Dick and Harry, sister Sandy, sister-in-laws Gwen, Verna, and Sally, brother-in-law John, granddaughter Jessica and several nieces and nephews.
As a high schooler, Darlene worked as a secretary for Dieters hardware store and went on to be a school secretary for several schools in the Chebanse School District. She was the first of her siblings to move out of state when Bill’s job took the family to Wisconsin. After 9 years in Palmyra, WI, Darlene and Bill built a home in Lindenhurst, IL and stayed there until moving to Rockford, IL to be closer to family after Bill became ill. The love of a mother can only be rivaled by that of a grandmother or great-grandmother; Darlene loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with her whole heart. Darlene and Bill never missed their grandchildren’s activities or sporting events, and with pride and joy they supported in any way possible. Darlene loved her time with Bill, family and friends spent in Ft Myers, Florida escaping the cold winters. When Bill passed, Darlene continued to live with her daughter’s family and was of immense support, helping take care of the greatgrandchildren that were born into her family. She also enjoyed traveling out of the country for the first time on vacations to Mexico and the Caribbean with Tami and Dan and their family. She so enjoyed and jumped at every opportunity to return to Chebanse and visit her siblings and their families as she loved and was loved by each one of them. Darlene was a lifelong Methodist and enjoyed going to church till Covid prevented it. Darlene’s final residence was a retirement home where she was visited almost daily by her children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and often by siblings, nieces, nephews and friends. She was loved by and a favorite of all her caretakers who helped care for her - often coming after work to visit.
Please share a memory of Darlene at www.knappfuneralhomes.com.
