BENSON -- Charles Walter Hecker, 99, of Benson, died Saturday at Koronis Manor in Paynesville.
The service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church in Benson.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson and for one hour prior to the service at the church.
He was born Sept. 15, 1908, in Carlton County to Carl and Louise (Breitbach) Hecker. He grew up near Barnum and attended school at Nemadji Central School through the eighth grade. He worked at a steel plant in Duluth in 1925 and then moved to St. Paul and worked various jobs. He moved to Chicago in 1928 and worked and attended Greer College in Chicago for an automotive degree in 1929. He moved to DeGraff in 1930 and worked with the paving crew, paving the highway between DeGraff and Pennock.
He married Viola Ferne Gulliford on Nov. 29, 1933, in Barnum.
ADVERTISEMENT
He did mechanic work beginning in 1930. Over the years he hauled cattle and furniture to and from St. Paul, owned a Chevrolet franchise, had a CASE machinery franchise and owned Hecker Motor and Hardware until selling the business in 1999.
He moved to Benson in 2006. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Benson and served on the Village of DeGraff Council.
He is survived by three daughters: Maxine (and Peter) Hofstedt of Golden Valley, Marilyn (and Jerry) Kilpatrick of Davenport, Iowa and Marjorie (and Wayne) Johnson of Coon Rapids; seven grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 1995, one brother and two sisters.
