Isabella G Oscarson

Our dear Bella has gone home to the Lord. A caring, kind, strong go-getter, Bella filled her 26 years with purpose, adventure, and service. She died tragically at a prescribed burn, working as a Crew Module Leader for the Idaho Department of Lands, a role and team she loved.

Born on January 24, 1999, to Kelvin and Kathleen Oscarson, she attended schools in St. Paul and St. Anthony Village, MN, before graduating from Watertown High School in 2017. After earning her Associates Degree, she joined the MN Conservation Corps and found her passion for service, spending her second year as a Crew Leader, then joining the team at the Grand Rapids, Minnesota, DNR as a Fire Resource Lead.

She met the love of her life, Matt Becker, and they settled into life in Floodwood where they doted on their dogs, Hunter and Gator. In addition to her DNR role, Bella joined the local volunteer ambulance service, pursued an Emergency Management and Homeland Security degree from ASU, and accepted short-term fire assignments as requested in Texas, Missouri, California, and Canada. Fulfilling a shared dream, Matt and Bella moved to Stites, Idaho, in early 2025, with Bella working out of the Kamiah office of the Idaho Department of Lands.

Never taking the trust placed in her for granted, Bella worked hard in the profession of fighting wildfires, thriving on the training, teaching, and leadership opportunities offered by the DNR and IDL. Her crew members and colleagues meant the world to her, and Bella appreciated the support of supervisors, who also served as mentors.

Bella lived fully, loving outdoor adventure, cooking, baking, crafting, gardening, reading and so much more. With her big heart and quiet faith, Bella especially cherished time with family and friends, sharing her joy, playful sense of humor, and funky dance moves. This year she coalesced her passion for fighting wildfires into a children's book, The Firebug, and was expecting to earn her degree in December.

In addition to her life partner, Matt, and her loving parents, Bella is survived by siblings Anarosa, Jacob, and Sophia; grandfather Richard Hawkins; a big, devoted extended family, and a host of
friends. Preceded in death by grandparents Mary Ann Hawkins and Betty & Walter Oscarson.

Visitation will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 3, and a Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, both at St. Charles Borromeo Church in St. Anthony, MN.
Memorials preferred to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.