Betty B. Tegtmeier

Betty Bernice (Rossell) Tegtmeier, daughter of Clyde and Bessie Rossell, passed away February 15, 2020 at the age of 95. Betty was born November 19, 1924 at the family home in Rockford, Nebraska. She attended Rockford School from kindergarten through the tenth grade. She completed her education at Beatrice High School, graduating in 1942.
After graduation, she worked candling eggs at Swift's in Beatrice. When her best friend, Fern Essex, decided to enroll at the Beatrice Beauty Academy, Betty decided she had candled her last egg, and also signed up for the nine-month program. Upon her graduation, she was hired at Guila's Beauty Shop in Diller, Nebraska where she worked four years, then worked at Mary's Beauty Shop in Beatrice for another two years.
Betty met Lawrence Tegtmeier on a blind date, arranged by Laura Hippen, in 1952. She knew immediately that Lawrence was the man she would marry. After a two-year courtship, they were married at Salem United Church of Christ, Steinauer, Nebraska, on January 4, 1954, and moved to their farm two miles south of Lewiston where she took on the role of farm wife. Three daughters were born to this union: Sandra Jean, Connie Sue, and Barbara Elaine. In addition to being a mother and helping out on the farm, Betty also gave hundreds of haircuts and perms to family and friends over the years from her home.
Betty taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and was an active member of the Salem Women's Fellowship, where she served as Treasurer. She especially enjoyed her years on the Social Committee, which served many weddings and funerals. Her favorite church event was Salem's annual Soup Supper and Bazaar, which she helped establish with Jo Wright. Betty was an avid crafter, making many items to sell at the bazaar over the years. She was a great cook and enjoyed working with yeast dough. Her specialties were her dinner rolls, pecan rolls, and butterscotch pie.
Farm work kept Lawrence and Betty close to home, so they didn't do a lot of traveling, but she thoroughly enjoyed their many trips to Branson with the kids and grandkids.
Upon their retirement in 1990, Lawrence and Betty moved to Perryton, Texas, where they lived for ten years. In 2004, they moved to Beatrice, where they resided together until 2017, when Lawrence's declining health made it necessary for him to move into a nursing home. Lawrence and Betty were blessed to have been married for nearly 65 years, until his death in December of 2018 at the age of 95.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Clyde and Bessie (Williss) Rossell, husband Lawrence, twin sisters Wilma and Thelma, brother Ralph, and sister Norma.
Survivors include daughters Sandra Tegtmeier, Connie Brown, and Barbara Tegtmeier, grandchildren, Elizabeth Brown and Chris Brown, several nieces and nephews, and very special niece, Doris (Tegtmeier) Wenzl.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, February 20, 2020 at the Salem United Church of Christ, Steinauer, NE with John Snyder officiating. Interment in the Salem Church Cemetery. The body will lie in state Wednesday from 10-8:00 at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice and at the church one hour preceding the service on Thursday. A family prayer service will be held at 1:45 PM Thursday at the church. A memorial has been established to the church with the funeral home in charge. Sign Betty's online guest book at www.ghchapel.com.
These services have been entrusted to the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.