Betty Elaine Wentzel
November 24, 1924 - May 14, 2016
Obituary
Betty Elaine Wentzel
November 24, 1924 – May 14, 2016
Betty Wentzel, age 91, passed on to Heaven on May 14, 2016 in her home at Village Green’s Assisted Living, Federal Way, Washington. She was born in Crookston Minnesota on November 24, 1924 to Danish immigrants, Jorgen and Clara Nielsen of Fisher, Minnesota. Betty was an only child. She lost her mother when she was five years old and her father when she was eight. She went to live with her Aunt and Uncle Anna and Jens Rasmussen who raised her on a neighboring farm.
She spent her early years living and working on the farm and attending school in a one room school house. She often rode a horse to school, letting him walk home on his own and then walked home after school. In the winter her uncle would take her in a covered sleigh. She attended Fisher High School from 9th through 12th grade. After high school she joined the Nurses Cadet Corps, a government sponsored program established due to the shortage of nurses during World War II. She studied nursing at the Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1946, she spent 18 months working at Deaconess Hospital and then went to Crookston Minnesota Hospital to work for ten years. At Deaconess she met her future sister in law, Elaine, and together they met brothers Norman and Donald Wentzel, who they married.
On August 7, 1949 she married the love of her life, Norman A. Wentzel. They were married for 35 years until his death in 1984. They lived in Crookston until 1955 when they packed up all of their belongings into a homemade trailer and moved the family to Seattle, Washington. She worked at Standring Hospital in Burien for 31 years as an RN and Head Nurse until her retirement in 1986.
Nothing was more important to Betty than family! She enjoyed camping, fishing, and taking road trips with them. As the family grew, she accepted them and their friends with open arms and was loved by everyone who ever met her. She was a member of Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church in Federal Way where she served as a volunteer and where she met her very best friend, Joyce Petersen. Over the next thirty years, she and Joyce had many great times together, including traveling to Minnesota and other places around the country. They looked after each other and she talked to Joyce every day.
Betty is survived by her oldest son Mark (Marcia) Wentzel; their children, Martin Wentzel, Chad Wentzel, Dana (Dave) Veitengruber, Crista (Ron) Kepner, and Brandon (Rachael) Ramirez, and her youngest son Gary (Melinda) Wentzel; their children Brieanna Ahrenholz (Jon), Brandon (Abbie) Wentzel, and Brittany (Tom) Egbert. Betty thoroughly enjoyed and loved her seven great-grandchildren, Rylee Kepner, Anders Ramirez, Milan Wentzel, Elliot Wentzel, August Veitengruber, Emersyn Ahrenholtz, and Annsley Wentzel. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, parents, and her dear Aunt and Uncle.
Donation in remembrance and in lieu of flowers can be made to:
Operation Blessing, c/o St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
Memorial Services to be held at
- St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
- 515 S 312th Street
- Federal Way, Washington 98003
- Tuesday, May 24, 2016 1:30 PM
Our condolences to the Family and Friends
This lovely, warm lady will be missed. Lots of hugs to her loving family for their loss.
What a lovely tribute to Betty Wentzel, grandmother-in-law to my daughter, Abbie…and what an interesting life! I was privileged to know her over the past few years and was impressed by her kindness and love for her children and grandchildren. Her life had great impact on the generations following her, as all who know the Wentzel family can attest to! Grandma Wentzel, you are and will be missed…but know your life was one well-lived.
Our condolences go to you Mark and Marsha. Even though we only meet her on a few occasions, we could see she was an exceptional lady. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Dear Mark and Marcia, please know we are thinking of you and holding you in our hearts as you say good-bye to your beautiful mother.
Looking forward to seeing you here at the beach soon.
Love
Neil and Willa