Betty J. Blanchard

Betty Blanchard, 88, died Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Funeral mass will be at 10:30am Saturday, January 29, 2011 at St. Christina Catholic Church, Parker with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 1-4pm at the Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home, Parker with a Prayer Service at 7:30pm Friday evening at the church with family present beginning at 6:00pm. Memorials may be directed to St. Christina Catholic Church, PO Box 610, Parker, SD 57053 Betty Jean Betzer was born on September 5, 1922 at Bronson, IA to Ernest and Cecile (Vanderloo) Betzer. She graduated in 1939 from Jefferson High School in Jefferson, SD at the age of 16 as salutatorian of her class. She then attended Wayne State Teachers College. On May 21, 1941 she was united in marriage to Clifford V. Blanchard at Sioux City, IA. From this marriage 12 children were born. She spent most of her married life in the Parker, SD area. Betty was a member of St. Christina Catholic Church and the Alter Society. She was a homemaker, former manager of a motel and writer for local publishers. She enjoyed teaching in the Literacy Program, craft hobbies, and antique collecting. Grateful for having shared her life are her husband Clifford; daughters Marcia (Jerry) McGill, Fort Calhoun, NE, Cherie (Les) Lunden, Parker, Virgina (Pat) Connors, Jefferson, Julie (Lee) Pascoe, Rathdrum, ID, Barbara (Dwayne) Ice, Rapid City, and Tracy (Steve) Lardinois, Parker, CO; sons, Lee (MaryAnn), Rapid City, Rodney (Linda), Oskaloosa, IA, Roche (Ilene), Rochester Hills, MI, Joel (Dar), Sioux Falls, and Greg (Diane), Broomfield, CO; and a brother, Dean (Faymone) Betzer, Omaha, NE; 18 granddaughters, 8 grandsons, 24 great grandchildren, and a great great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter Lisa, 3 grandsons, Brent, Darin, and Christopher Blanchard and 2 son in laws, Terry Merritt and Bill Cvitak.