Grace Marie Betts, age 102, of Coon Rapids, IA, passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2024 at Brookstone Village in Omaha, NE.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids with Pastor Kevin Evers officiating. Music for the service will be by Cindy Seastrom. Casket bearers will be Scott Armstrong, Mark Armstrong, Gary Betts, Alex Toole, Zach Toole, and Cory Armstrong. Honorary casket bearers will be Julie Stensrud, Kelly Emery, Keri Rizkallah, and Amy Tolentino. Burial will be in the Union Township Cemetery near Coon Rapids. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Brookstone Village, 4330 South 144th Street, Omaha, NE 68137 or Head for the Cure.
Visitation will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids from 12:30 – 1:45 P.M. on Saturday, July 27, 2024 prior to the service.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
Grace was born on July 8, 1922 in Audubon, IA and was the daughter of John and Ethel (Farnham) Siemsen. She attended rural school near Audubon and graduated from the Audubon High School with the class of 1940. She then taught rural school, Union Township #1 in Guthrie County for a short time. On October 25, 1941 she was united in marriage to Melvin Clifford Betts in Maryville, MO. They were blessed with three children, Donna, Roger, and Thomas. The couple made their home in rural Bayard for a few years before moving to Audubon. In the late 1940’s, they moved south of Coon Rapids in Guthrie County where they lived until they moved into Coon Rapids in 1985. Grace was a homemaker raising their children and helped Melvin operate the family farm. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids and was active in the “Apple Dumpling Gang”. She enjoyed knitting and made all her grandchildren and great grandchildren afghan’s for their graduation gifts. She loved making ceramics, dancing, bowling, playing cards, and gardening whether it was tending to her large flower or vegetable gardens. But most of all she cherished the time she got to spend with her family.
Grace is survived by her three children: Donna Armstrong (Phil) of Omaha, NE, Roger Betts (Kathy) of Mesa, AZ, Thomas Betts (Terry) of Cincinnati, OH; seven grandchildren: Scott Armstrong of Phoenix, AZ, Kelly Emery (Gene) of Des Moines, IA, Mark Armstrong (Michele) of Omaha, NE, Julie Stensrud (Brad) of Bloomington, MN, Gary Betts (Carli) of Aurora, CO, Keri Rizkallah (Matt) of Monroe, OH, and Amy Tolentino (Josel) of Chicago, IL; 16 great grandchildren; 11 great-great grandchildren; brother-in-law, Cleo (Kae) Betts of Elkhart, IN; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Grace is preceded in death by her husband Melvin Clifford Betts; her parents; her granddaughter Kristen Marie Betts; great granddaughter Anna Marie Stenstrud; two brothers, Charles (Dorlee) Siemsen and Johnny Siemsen; five sisters: Bea Siemsen, Nellie (LaVerne) Farley, Bessie (Lawrence) Nielsen, Dorothy (Bryan) Betts, and Doris (Robert) Booten; and 5 infant siblings.