Betty J. Janssen, 92, of Bode, passed away April 26, 2018 at the Long Term Care Unit of the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 am Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m. Monday at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt. Burial will be in St. Olaf Cemetery, Bode.
Betty Jean Bates, the daughter of Earl and Myrtle (Toothman) Bates, was born September 18, 1925 on a farm in Kossuth County, Iowa. She was raised at Burt and graduated from Burt High School with the class of 1943. She worked in a government office in Minnesota during World War II and following the war, returned to Burt to help care for her ailing grandparents. On a blind date on Halloween, 1948, she met Max Janssen and the couple was united in marriage on August 14, 1949. The couple farmed briefly in Minnesota until moving to the family farm near Bode. The couple farmed together all of their married lives. Mr. Janssen passed away on July 8, 1996 and Betty continued to maintain her home until becoming a resident of Springvale in Humboldt in 2002. She passed away at the Long Term Care Unit on the morning of April 26th at the age of 92.
Betty was a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode where she was active in women’s circle. She enjoyed gardening, canning, and baking. She especially enjoyed planning her class reunions, family reunions, and attending her children’s activities. She and Max enjoyed their many winters in Apache Junction, Arizona and attending Trail Riders events.
Mrs. Janssen is survived by her son, Calvert Janssen of Daytona Beach, FL; daughter, Carmen Janssen of Des Moines; grandson, Christopher (Jennifer) Janssen of Manchester; great granddaughters, Allison Janssen of Holy Cross and Joy Janssen of Manchester; and great-great granddaughter, Ava Lee Jasper. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Max Janssen; grandson, Michael; and brothers, Kenneth, Harold, and Keith Bates.