Irene Mae Betz

Irene lived in Greeley for 6 years with her great aunt. In 1930 her parents came for her to work in the fields in Nebraska thinning beets, shocking grain, hoeing weeds and picking potatoes. She had 8 years of schooling but spent most of her time working in the fields.

Irene married Leo Betz in Gering, Nebraska on November 25, 1942. Their son Dennis was born in 1944 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. She helped Leo at lambing time in Bayard, Nebraska working for Ginn Company feeding 4000 sheep. In the summer of 1947 the family moved to Platteville to help her father and brothers on the farm. Irene worked at the potato docks, and in the evening worked as a hostess at Judy’s Supper Club in Platteville. In October they moved to Greeley to work for Manuel Kindsfater. In June of 1949 their daughter Carolyn was born. In 1950 they started their own farm and dairy. She helped Leo on the farm cultivating, hauling beets and with the hay harvest.

Irene returned to school after their son Dennis joined the Air Force. She became a secretary for a real estate office. In 1970 she went to work at North Colorado Medical Center as a secretary and aid in the maternity ward. She retired in 1990 to take care of their daughter Carolyn who passed away in 1993. She also took care of Leo who had a stroke in 1996 and suffered from Alzheimer’s. He passed away in 2002.

Irene enjoyed going to Evans Senior Center, seeing all her friends and traveling with them whenever possible. She was also a member of the Red Hats Grandma’s. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, great grandchildren and those who adopted her as their grandmother.

She enjoyed her crafts, making everything you could imagine from dolls to rabbits. She knitted and crocheted, making afgans, growing her flowers and plants, canning, taking pictures and being with her family. She kept very busy. In January 2013 she moved to Life Care Center. She presented ideas that were accepted and kept up with crafts in volume that were sold during the craft shows. While living there she also began to paint.

Irene is survived by her son Dennis and Laura Ann Betz of Greeley; two sisters Sharon and Robert Grauberger of Wheatland, Wyoming and Doris Odenbaugh of Platteville; four grandchildren; 2 step grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Leo, daughter Carolyn Ann, three brothers Albert, Billy, and Johnny Schoneman.

Visitation will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 24, at Stoddard Funeral Home. Funeral service will take place at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, September 25 at Stoddard Funeral Home. Interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens. A reception will follow at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1800 21st Avenue, Greeley, Colorado 80631.

Memorial contributions may be made to American Diabetes Association or Arthritis Foundation in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 W. 28th Street, Greeley, Colorado 80634.

Please visit www.stoddardsunset.com to sign online guestbook.