Betty Mae Wilson, age 87

Betty M. Wilson

    Betty Mae Wilson, 87, received her angel wings and heavenly dancing shoes on March 26, 2016.
    She was born on August 12, 1928 in New Underwood, S.D. She was the youngest of five children of Earl and Anna (Kammerer) Cox. She graduated from high school in New Underwood with the class of 1946. In the fall of that year, she borrowed $150 to attend Black Hills Teaching College in Spearfish and received her teaching certificate. Betty taught for two years at the Hudson and Red Top Schools near New Underwood and received $200 a month, which at the time she thought was a lot of money.
    She gave up her teaching career and on September 16, 1928, she married her high school sweetheart, Marion Wilson. They lived in the Elm Springs community for over 40 years, raising six children – Cindy (Mike) Oswald, Madison, S.D., Jackie (Larry) Birnbaum, Green Bay, Wis., Carla (Gene) Jobgen, Rapid City, Ronnie (Brenda) Wilson, Kyle, S.D., Kevin Wilson, Rapid City, and Scott (Denene) Wilson, Wright, Wyo.
    Sundays and holidays were usually spent visiting with family or friends. Saturday nights was often spent dancing at Elm Springs or New Underwood dances (She and Dad loved to dance) or playing cards. Betty was a wonderful cook and we all remember her homemade buns, potato salad, and chocolate anything. Always putting her family first, she and Dad followed the kids or grandkids to school and athletic activities traveling from Wyoming to Wisconsin and everywhere in between.
    Betty was a member of the St. Margaret’s Catholic Church in Lakeside, St. Therese in Rapid City, and Jolly Homemakers Extension Club of Elm Springs. After moving to Rapid City, she continued to work for the South Dakota Department of Tourism.
    Her husband of 65 years preceded her in death on October 1, 2013. She is survived by her six children and was blessed with 22 grandchildren - Sarah, Nicole, Kenzie, Brigette, Tiffany, Anna, Lane, Lindsay, Whitney, Dayton, Katie, Kristi, Chancy, Rollie, Jesse, Joe, Gus, Ryder, Sierra, Cash, Schelbi, and Logan; 18 great-grandchildren – Kassidy, Colter, Hanna, Addysen, Ellie, Amelia, Harper, Audric, Berkley, Hadley, Paytin, Rankyn, Saylor, Sattyn, Swayde, Saevyn, Paesyn, and Dekker.
    Visitation will be on Thursday, March 31 from 5:00 to - 7:00 p.m., with a Catholic Wake Service held at 7:00 p.m. at Kirk Funeral Home.
    Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, April 1 at 10:00 a.m., at St. Therese Catholic Church, with Fr. Bill Zandri as celebrant. Interment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Rapid City.

The Pioneer Review

221 E. Oak Street
Philip, SD 57567
Telephone: (605) 859-2516
E Mail: ads@pioneer-review.com

Sign Up For Breaking News

Stay informed on our latest news!

Manage my subscriptions

Subscribe to Newsletter feed
Comment Here