Emily Beckland

Emily "Grace" Becklund, 86, of Sioux City died Thursday, May 3, 2007, at a Sioux City hospital following a brief illness.

Services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Augustana Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Del Olivier officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Online condolences may be sent to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Emily "Grace" Becklund was born Sept. 30, 1920, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, to George and Clara (Havier) Hasara. She grew up in the Spirit Lake area and graduated from Spirit Lake High School and moved to Sioux City in 1942. She graduated from St. Joseph School of Nursing in 1945.

She married Jack Becklund on June 14, 1947, in Estherville, Iowa. She was a supervisor on the OB-Gyn floor at St. Joseph Mercy and Mercy Medical Center, retiring in 1984, with 42 years of service. Grace helped deliver more than 30,000 babies in her career.

She was a member of Augustana Lutheran Church and was very active in the church, having served on the Altar Guild and Rhoda Circle. She was also a member of Daughters of the Nile, Abu Bekr Shrine Auxiliary, Sioux City Women's Club and St. Joseph School of Nursing Alumni. She also did volunteer work at St. Luke's Hospital and the Siouxland Senior Center. She received an award from St. Luke's for 2,500 hours of service. Grace enjoyed playing cards and golf with her many friends. Her chocolate chip cookies and her banana bread were a great hit with her grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, Jack of Sioux City; two daughters, Barbara Filer and her husband, Thomas of Des Moines, and Bonnie Gilliland and her husband, Ed of Sioux Falls, S.D.; two sisters, Irene Williamson of Spirit Lake, and Marge Paulson of Lees Summit, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Michael and Cody Fox, Emily Filer and her fiance, Brandyn, Kassandra Sikes and her husband, Josh, Carter Barger and his friend, Sandy and twins, Shelby and Raegan Gilliland; and three great-grandchildren, Timothy, Jackson and Elizabeth Sikes.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Bob and Fred.

Pallbearers will be Michael and Cody Fox, Emily Filer, Kassandra Sikes, Carter Barger, Josh Sikes and Brandyn VanZante.

Memorials may be directed to Augustana Lutheran Church or the June E. Nylen Cancer Center.