Betty Farmer

A funeral mass for Betty Farmer, age 91, of Spirit Lake, will be held Monday, April 18, 2016, at 10:30 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will be at St. Margarets Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Visitation will be on Sunday, April 17th after 5:00pm with the family present from 5:00-7:00pm at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Betty Jeanne Farmer was born to Elmer and Hattie (Eaton) Meyer on October 2, 1924 in Ruthven, Iowa. In 1930, she moved with her family to Milford, Iowa. She attended St. Joseph School in Milford until 1940 and graduated from Milford High School in 1942. She attended Hamilton School of Business in Mason City from 1942-1943. Betty worked for the Soil Conservation/Farm Bureau until November of 1944 when she and her sister, Mary, joined the WAVES along with two other Milford girls. She served in the WAVES, mostly in Washington DC, working in the Bureau of Naval Personnel. She received her honorable discharge in May 1946. Betty was united in marriage to Kenneth L. Farmer, Sr. of Spirit Lake on September 9, 1946. They lived in Spirit Lake all of their married life. Betty returned to work for the Soil Conservation/Farm Bureau in 1946 and in 1952 retired to raise a family of seven children. She returned to work outside the home in 1969, working as a secretary at the Spirit Lake High School. From 1972-1989, she worked for the Dickinson County Soil Conservation District. After a couple years at home, she worked at Lundstrom Furniture. After retirement, Betty and Ken enjoyed being snow birds in Arizona for fifteen years. Betty loved being with her grandchildren, dancing, golfing, quilting, flowers, playing cards, doing volunteer work, painting ceramics, embroidery work and being with friends at CURVES. Her children and grandchildren are now enjoying her many home made quilts. She painted a Christmas ornament for each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for every year of their life. Betty was a charter member of Catholic Daughters of America, Our Lady of LaSalette #1585 and a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary. Betty passed away April 13, 2016 at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake at ninety-one years of age. Left to cherish her memory are sons, Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr. and his wife, Terri, of Arnolds Park, Bruce and his wife, Sabrina, of Edgewater, Florida, Tom and his wife, Carolyn, of Clear Lake, Iowa and Mark and his wife, Susan, of Gilbert, Arizona; daughters, Barbara and her husband, Chris Taylor, of Lutz, Florida and Michelle and her husband, John Janasko, of Gilbert, Arizona and Estherville, Iowa; grandchildren, Ben and Joe Peters, Ann Peters Russell, Wes Farmer, Kelly Farmer Pottebaum, David and Julayne Farmer, Jake, Paxton and Carson Farmer, Lucas and Lindsey Farmer; step-grandchildren, Matthew Medlock and Brittany Grau, Jacob and Jasmin (Taylor) Sussman; twenty-one great-grandchildren; three sisters, two brothers, four brothers-in-law and many nieces and nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her husband in 2006; her son, Doug, in 1982; her parents, five sisters, four sisters-in-law and five brothers-in-law.