Rebecca Ann (Smith) Haltaufderheid (Officer Becky)

Rebecca Ann (Smith) Haltaufderheid (Officer Becky)  
Becky Haltaufderheid (Officer Becky) age 63 passed away on 12/18/2021 at 9:43 am with her family by her side after a 17 month long battle with pancreatic cancer. She often said she would write in her obituary she was going scratching, kicking and fighting because she had more that needed to be done. Instead, she quietly left this earth to crawl into Jesus’ lap and rest her head on His shoulder knowing her cancer could not be cured. 
Becky was born on April 3, 1958 to Christian parents, Harold W. and Patricia R. (Mueller) Smith. She was baptized on May 11, 1958. She attended St. Paul Lutheran School in Montpelier where she received her Christian education. She was confirmed on March 26, 1972 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Montpelier with the Rev. C.A. Baumgartel officiating. She attended Kewaunee High School and graduated on June 3, 1976.  Becky met Todd Haltaufderheid in February 1983 while she was working part time as a matron at the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department and Todd worked for the Algoma Police Department. After 11 years, they married on April 10, 1994. Becky was working dispatch once they were married and she often joked she told Todd where to go, and was still telling him where to go long after she retired!
She attended NWTC receiving her Associate Degree in Practical Nursing in 1977. She worked at Kewaunee Memorial Hospital from 1977 to 1985 when she began working as a security officer at the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant. During her employment there, she attended NWTC taking classes in the Police Training Program and received her Associate Degree in June of 1991. On February 1, 1989 she was hired as the first full time female Deputy Sheriff for the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department. She began working as a jailor/dispatcher, progressing to investigator where she actively investigated sensitive and child crimes. In 2000, she began the Police School Liaison Program for Kewaunee County in which she worked with students in the Kewaunee, Algoma and Luxemburg School Districts, including the parochial schools. She started teaching the CounterAct program to fifth graders throughout the county in 1992 and later began teaching the GREAT program in 1995 to seventh graders throughout the county. She enjoyed teaching kids from kindergarten to the twelfth grade about safety and the laws. Her passion was investigating child crimes and was trained in Forensic Interviewing Techniques. Many times, she had a student who would thank her for helping them out of dangerous situations in which they had been victimized. 
She retired from law enforcement in 2013 and began working for the Luxemburg-Casco Middle School as a Library Aide. She continued helping students during small study halls. Some students would keep in touch with her after they left the middle school, telling her they appreciated her help. 
Becky was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Rankin where she served on many boards and most recently served as the church secretary. She was active in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) where she served as St. John’s LWML society president, Zone 19 LWML Secretary, North Wisconsin District LWML as Recording Secretary, Leader Development Chair and lastly as their District President. She resigned from that district president position due to her cancer progression. 
Becky was active in her community and always lent a helping hand when needed. She enjoyed reading, gardening and attending Bible Study. She was currently a member of the Algoma Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary and helped with various fundraisers over the years.
Becky and Todd loved to go camping with their two golden retrievers. They traveled all over the state of Wisconsin in various locations. They traveled together out west to North & South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. They read books on ghost towns and loved to visit them for their history. A highlight of their vacations was a cruise tour to Alaska where they experienced whale watching, the glacier fields, a train ride to Denali National Park and touring Jeff King’s Iditarod sled dogs, being able to hold and play with his puppies. They watched ships together in Sturgeon Bay, Duluth and Sault St. Marie, MI. After Becky’s diagnosis, she was adopted by the ship “Presque Isle” and received many Master Salutes. 
Becky is survived by Todd, her husband of 27 years; Brothers: Tom (Lynette) Smith, Joel (Twana) Smith; Sister: Miriam (Larry) Slaght; Brothers-in-law and Sisters-in-law: Jerry (Jarreth) Haltaufderheid, Rick (Cora) Haltaufderheid. Nieces and Nephews: Chris (Katie) Smith, Dustin (Mindy) Smith, Tiffany (Chris) Malchek, Eric Smith, Nicole (Sean) Hanley, Allison (Kevin) Hockers, and Jordan (Allison) Haltaufderheid; Great Nieces and Great Nephews: Nevaeh, Levi, and Ayva Malchek, Sadie, Beckam, and Elsie Smith, Carter & Emma Hanley, Brady and Baby Hockers; Aunt and Godmother, Christine Mueller; “Grandma” Jean Gollyhon; her godchildren: Chris Smith, Nicole Hanley, Rani Stangel, Gabrielle Stangel, Kimberly Gaudette, and numerous cousins. She is further survived by many LWML sisters throughout Wisconsin and beyond, her “Packer Party” friends and many more she has made over the years. 
She was proceeded in death by her parents, maternal grandparents: Edward & Rilla Mueller and fraternal grandparents: Avery and Ruth Smith; nephew Bryon Smith; parents-in-law: Randy & Eva Haltaufderheid.
Visitation will take place at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Algoma, ( Rankin ) WI on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021  from  4 – 8 PM. Visitation will continue at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Algoma on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 beginning at 9 AM until Becky’s Christian funeral at 11 AM with the Rev. Dr. Christopher Jackson officiating. Assisting in the service will be LCMS District President, Rev. Dwayne Lueck; LWML District Pastoral Counselors: Rev. Doug Reinders and Rev. Larry Yaw. Entombment will be in the Nicolet Memorial Gardens in the town of Scott. 
Becky wishes to thank her husband, Todd for his dedicated care to her, especially over the past 17 months.  Becky and Todd wish to add a special Thank You to her sister Miriam Slaght and cousin, Susan Kratz for all their help and compassion during this long journey. Thank you to Green Bay Oncology for all their care. A special thank you to Dr. Susan Tsai and Lauren, NP of the Faith Cancer Center at Froedtert Medical College for their compassionate care even when surgery was no longer an option. A very Special Thank You to the Nurses, CNA’s, Chaplin’s and Social Workers of Unity Hospice. They helped make these final days so much easier for Becky, Todd and all the family members that were with her on those final days.  They are truly Angels.  
Special thanks to Laurie Schinderle of Schinderle Funeral Home for her care and concern during this difficult time. 
In lieu of flowers, memorials will be split between the North Wisconsin District LWML and St. John’s Fellowship Hall.
The SCHINDERLE FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES,  Algoma, was entrusted with arrangements for 
Becky.
Express your sympathy, memories and pictures on Becky's tribute page at www.schinderlefuneralhome.com

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