Betty Stammer

Betty Stammer, 97, of Faulkton, passed away Saturday, December 30, 2017, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital, Aberdeen, SD.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 6, 2018 at the United Church of Faulkton with Pastor Bill Hoffman presiding. Burial followed in the Faulkton Cemetery. Visitation was held from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., Friday, January 5, 2018 at the church.

Betty Stammer was born on February 18, 1920, and was soon lovingly ‘chosen’ to be the adopted daughter of Roy and Helen Ford of Faulkton. Five years later, her brother Clyde “Bud” Ford joined the family. When she was just 11 years old, her mother passed away from cancer. She attended school in Faulkton and graduated with the Class of 1938. Just this past July 4^th, she was honored to ride in the Wild West Days Parade as the oldest graduate living in Faulkton. After high school, she was employed by Farm Credit Administration, both in the county office and later in the state office in Huron.

On June 8, 1940, she married Francis “Pete” Metz and they made their home in Miranda. They had one daughter, Virginia, who was just 3 years old when Pete was drafted into World War II and, after a brief training, was sent to Europe. He gave his life in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium in December of 1944. Since Pete had been a rural mail carrier prior to being drafted, Betty took over his mail route. In her words, “The roads were awful!”

On October 3, 1946, she married Wayne Stammer and they had two daughters, Vicki and Marilyn. They lived on the farm near Miranda and raised Hereford cattle until 1978 when they moved to Faulkton due to Wayne’s health. They were fortunate enough to enjoy several winters in Arizona before Wayne passed away in Mesa, AZ, during heart surgery in March of 1988. Betty continued to spend time in Arizona in the winter for a few years after his death.

Betty worked for the ASCS in Faulkton until her retirement in 1982. She continued to live in Faulkton enjoying daily coffee with friends as well as being active in her church and community. She was a voracious reader until her eyesight started to fail. Even then, she continued to read the daily newspaper and, up to the time of her death, could tell you all you wanted to know about what was going on in the world. She remained engaged in life, interested in new clothes, new furnishings and was still trying and sharing new recipes well into her 90’s.

In 2011, Betty became a resident of the assisted living facility in Faulkton and enjoyed the company and conversation with the other residents. She greatly appreciated her caregivers.

Betty endured many hardships and trials including the loss of her mother when she was so young, the fire which destroyed their home during her early years, losing her first husband in the war and being left a single parent of a small child, then losing her second husband when he was only 68 years old after 41 years of marriage, and finally the loss of her oldest daughter, Virginia, in 2012 to cancer. Throughout all of this, her faith remained steadfast. She rarely complained and was a devout Christian woman who appreciated all of her blessings. She accepted everything in life with true resilience, an admirable graciousness and a gentle quietness.

In the early morning hours of December 30, 2017, Betty was ‘chosen’ again and softly went to her eternal rest in heaven. We are sure she was greeted with open arms by her husband Wayne (whom she said would ask, “What took you so long?”), Francis “Pete” Metz, her parents, Roy and Helen Ford, her daughter and son-in-law, Ginny and Roger Gamo, and her brother and sister-in-law, Bud and Delores Ford.

She will be sorely missed but genuinely remembered with love by her daughters Vicki (Jay) Bachmayer of Sioux Falls and Marilyn (Bob) Hadrick of Faulkton, and her grandchildren, Scott (Paige) Gamo, Barb (Rick) Antal, Kris (Clay) Rees, Kati Bachmayer, Abby Bachmayer, Alex (Ericka) Bachmayer, Troy (Stacy) Hadrick, and Aaron (fiancé Brittney) Hadrick. She also leaves behind 13 great grandchildren, Teigen, Olivia, Reese and Hudson, Will, Gabriel and Emelia, Brandon and Nick, and Taran, Myles, Addie, and Aiden, 2 great-great granddaughters, Abigail and Amelia, sister-in-law, Irma Stammer, and several nieces and nephews.

Luce Funeral Home of Faulkton has been entrusted with Betty’s arrangements.