The independent community-based communications world lost a giant in our industry this past week with the passing of Marjorie Silliman Rose Becker, a life-long resident of Middleburgh, NY and the Chairman of The Middleburgh Telephone Company (MIDTEL). She was known as Marge to all she worked with, and she passed away two months shy of 99. What transformations she has helped to pioneer for this industry over a long, rich love affair with serving her rural community.
Her journey in the communications world began even before she was born when her father established the Rose Telephone Company. She moved to Middleburgh, NY when she was six months old, after her father had sold the company. She spent her early years in Middleburgh where her father went to work for the 25-year-old Middleburgh Telephone Company. She often found herself working nights and weekends at MIDTEL, even as she raised her children, obtained her insurance license, and taught school. She joined the business full time in 1976 to support the work of her husband, Randy.
Her work at MIDTEL followed a lifetime of telephone activities. At the young age of 14, Marge started working part-time at the phone company and continued working during her college years. Her jobs included telephone operator, truck driver, repair woman, and administrator. She accompanied and supported her father and husband on many jobs and company meetings. On the day before she was married in 1946, she was installing telephone cable.
During her 48 years at the company Marge was the steady hand behind its growth from just 200 access lines to more than 7,000. Along with her grandsons and invaluable employees, she championed the move into Cable TV, DSL, Internet and Fiber broadband services in Middleburgh and the surrounding areas. She was amazed that the ‘small company’ she, Randy and others helped build could have one of the first communications towers (1966), recently removed, and then grow along with the ever-advancing and changing technology of today’s world. MIDTEL now serves over 400 square miles in Schoharie County and parts of Albany County. Although she didn’t seek the limelight, Marge was inducted into the New York State Telecommunications Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Middleburgh community established The Marge and Randy Becker Community Service Award to annual recognize a community leader who exemplified community service like the Beckers.
I have long admired Marge and communicated a few times with her after our Foundation for Rural Service included MIDTEL on a congressional tour to see their leading applications for technology. She was a pioneer for women in the telecommunications industry even before it was “a thing” and an early role model for many of us. In communicating with her grandson, Jim, current CEO of the company, he noted about her that “almost 99 years of good health and sound mind and passing while swimming in her pool (one of her favorite things to do) is quite the life. I am pretty sure she would not have scripted it any differently.” Up until the week she passed, she was working on who would take over her various responsibilities at the company. That is a work ethic to be admired.
The businesses in the village and local school all closed for an hour and the town lined the street for her funeral procession. She was much loved and appreciated for all she gave to those she served. Now that is a life well lived, indeed.
