Betty Ann Wortman

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Betty Ann Wortman, 88, of Highmore, passed away Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at Edgewood Senior Living in Pierre, surrounded by her family.

Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, January 26, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Highmore, with Father John Short, celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Highmore. A visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, January 25, 2026, followed by a 5:00 p.m. rosary led by Father David Axtmann, all at the church.

Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Gregg was born on November 7, 1937, in Pierre, SD, to Sam and Edna (Cowan) Gregg, the fourth of seven children. She was raised in the Harrold area and graduated from Harrold High School in 1956. She pursued higher education at Presentation College, where she earned her teaching certificate.  While teaching in a one room country school, she furthered her education at Huron College and graduated from Northern State University with her master’s degree in 1981.

She married Charles Martin “Marty” Wortman on December 28, 1959. To this union, five children were born over the next six years: Carrie, Derick, Sarah, Max, and Mary. Betty had her hands full, and she and Marty moved around working for ranchers in the area. They settled in Highmore to raise their family.

Betty taught school in Hyde and Hand County, as a head teacher in one room country schools, a special education teacher, and retired from teaching as a Guidance Counselor serving Highmore, Crow Creek, and Lower Brule schools in that capacity. She touched many lives throughout her 35+ years of education and left a lasting impression on her students.

Betty was a do-er and a go-getter. This is how she earned her nickname: “Fast Betty!” There was no such thing as summer break, as the Wortman five cut blue grass to earn money to go on summer vacation to Canada. When the kids got older, to keep them out of trouble, she purchased two dario-drive ins, which all the kids worked at. She took in four high school boys who lived with them in their basement, because raising five children of her own wasn’t enough. Later in life, to keep the grandkids from getting in trouble, she took on bird cleaning during the hunting season.

Throughout their entire lives, Betty and Marty loved to camp and fish, with many memories made on the Cheyenne River and West Bend. They invested in many campers and boats over the years, and they headed up the annual “Wild Wortman Family” Labor Day weekend with family and friends for six straight summers.

When Betty and Marty finally retired, yearly summer trips to Alaska started. For 15+ years, they loaded up their camper, made the drive in three days, and spent a month in the Last Frontier. They fished, camped, and made many memories and good friends from their time there. The highlight was their five children making the trip together in 2009, and throughout different years, having all seven of their grandchildren join them. The next adventure was wintering in Texas, where they had many more memories made and friends.

When Marty and Betty weren’t in Alaska or Texas, they were busy chasing their seven grandchildren to every activity they were in. They wore Highmore, Sully Buttes, and Stanley County gear as they sat in the bleachers at many volleyball, football, basketball, wrestling, and rodeo events. They followed the grandkids through their college days and had started to enjoy the activities of their 15 great grandkids. They were the highlight of their lives. If you called Betty, you were always going to get a story about the grandkids, unless you called when the Minnesota Vikings or Twins were playing, as she was an avid fan and loved to watch them on tv.

Family was everything to Betty. She always liked to say, “Marty, look what we started!”  Indeed, Betty and Marty took tremendous pride in what they started and nourished into a wonderful family tree.

Betty is survived by her beloved husband of 66 years, Marty; children: Carrie (Keith) Bourk, Derick (Marcia) Wortman, Sarah (Jay) Etzkorn, Max Wortman, and Mary Wortman; grandchildren: Crystal (Chris) Cover, Katie Bourk, Clayton (Kacee) Etzkorn, Tyler (Amanda) Wortman, Jake (Dani) Etzkorn, Elizabeth Ann (Casey Heninger) Bourk, and Dan (Alyssa) Etzkorn; great-grandchildren: Hunter and Brecken Cover; Eli, Emma, and Emmet Etzkorn; Reily, Reagyn, Reyse, and River Wortman; Madison, Brooklynn, and Stetson Etzkorn; Sterling Heninger; and Tallen and Chloe Etzkorn; siblings: Richard “Dick” (Connie) Gregg; Kenny (Marge) Gregg; brother-in-law, Keith Aasby; and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Edna; sisters: Kathleen Gregg; Patty (Jerald) Thorne; and Corinne Aasby; brother, Merrill (Pat) Gregg; In-laws, Bob and Iva Wortman; and sister-in-law, Izzy (Dick) Hamlin.

Betty had a quote she lived her life by: “It only costs a little more to go first-class!”

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Betty’s arrangements.