Betty A. Battles

A Funeral Service for Betty Battles of Warroad, MN will be held on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 2:00PM at Zion Lutheran Church in Warroad, MN. Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 24, 2016 from 5-7PM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Warroad, MN with a prayer service at 7PM. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be held at Riverside Cemetery in Warroad, MN.

Betty passed away on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND at the age of 84.

Betty Ann Olufson Battles

Betty was born September 14, 1931 in Moranville Township, MN to Emmet and Bertha (Graham) Myers.  Betty was adopted, along with her brother John (Bud), in 1935 by Ingvald and Florence (Nelson) Olufson.  They lived west of Warroad, just down from the Warroad Care Center.  She attended and graduated from Warroad School.  In 1947 she met a handsome boy, home from the Navy.  Eugene and Betty were married on September 1, 1948 at Zion Lutheran Church in Warroad.  In the spring of 1948 they bought 80 acres of land from John Meek.  They lived and farmed together at the same place in Clear River Township for 66 years continuing to expand the farm and diversify with cattle and crops.  On January 19, 1953 their house burnt to the ground.  They were not home and the cause of the fire was never determined.   That summer they build a new house completing most of the work themselves for a cost of $6,000.   In 1985 Eugene and Betty received the Valley Farmers and Homemakers Award at the Red River Valley Winter Shows.

Betty worked along side Eugene to support their family.  Her jobs have included housewife/farmer, picking potatoes by Roosevelt, climbing the 110’ Clear River fire tower during fire season, phone sales at Marvin Windows office, and Western Protection Security owned by Bill Ellis at Marvin Millwork for 20 years.  She retired from security on February 14, 2002.

Betty was active in community affairs.  She was in the garden club, 4H with her children, PTA, Clear River Ladies Aid, room mother at school, and past president of the American Legion Auxiliary.  Betty enjoyed “snowcatting” with her Polaris snowmobile.  She had a large lawn, big garden and lots of flowers.  Betty was very creative.  She always had a project going, including flower arrangements, oil painting, and rosemaling.  During the last few years she was cutting and sewing quilt tops for the Zion Lutheran mission project.  This winter she sewed over 50 quilt tops.  Betty loved to take care of others.  If you came to visit, there always was a cup of coffee and a “snack” on the table.  There probably was a reason the house CB name was “Coffee Base”. 

Betty is survived by her sons, Richard (wife Kim Charles) of Warroad; David (wife Arlette Battles) of Warroad; her daughter, Debra Meyer-Myrum (husband Jeff Myrum); brother, George (Marilyn) Larson of Baudette; sisters, Grace Hanley of Gibson City IL and Hazel Wittman of Tucson AZ; seven grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her husband Eugene, parents, Ingvald and Florence Olufson;  brother, John (Bud) Olufson; sisters Jean Joing and Lucy Harrison.

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