Betty Eckstein

Betty Jean Eckstein, 87, a life-long resident of Highmore, SD, passed away Monday, September 3, 2012 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado surrounded by her family.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 8, 2012 at the United Methodist Church, Highmore with Pastor Kori Lehrkamp officiating. Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, September 7, 2012 with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at Luze Funeral Home, Highmore.  Burial was at 1:30 p.m. MDT, Monday, September 10, 2012 at Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis. 

Betty had traveled to Colorado in May to undergo cancer surgery.  Prior to leaving Highmore she told her friends “I’ll be back either standing up or laying down” or “I’ll be back on my own two feet or in a box.”  Betty’s surgery was successful and she had beaten bladder cancer.  She was scheduled to be discharged from the medical rehabilitation center within the week and would have returned soon to her home in SD when an unexpected rare blood clot event took her life.

Betty was born in a maternity home in Highmore on August 21, 1925.  She attended rural country schools through the eighth grade at Chapelle, Douglas, and Valley.  Betty graduated from Highmore High School in 1943.  In high school she participated in basketball and band.  She sat 1^st chair saxophone in band and played clarinet for marching band.  Betty received the coveted “H” letter award for her high school accomplishments.

Betty married Emil Eckstein when Emil returned from serving his country in WWII.  They were married in Miller, SD at the home of a retired Methodist minister on April 8, 1946.   She and Emil had been married for 61 years when Emil passed away in 2007. 

Betty and Emil spent the majority of their life farming and ranching.  They lived on rented farms until purchasing Betty’s home place in 1956.  Their four daughters, JaNean, Shirley, Evelyn, and Peggy Jo, were raised on the same place Betty grew up.  She previously farmed this same land alongside her father while her brothers served in WWII.  Betty and Emil continued farming and ranching until 1975 and moved from the family farm into Highmore in 2005. 

Betty’s first paying job was cleaning rural country schools for $1.50 an hour.  In 1975 when they stopped farming, Betty began working for others in the community.  She painted, hung wall paper and cleaned houses.  Betty also helped refurbish the inside of the Hyde County Courthouse.  At age 85 she decided it was time to hang up her hammer, she had worked long enough, and could retire.  The number of people she worked for numbered over 200.

Betty served as a 4-H leader for more than twenty-five years and also served on the Hyde County school board.  She thoroughly enjoyed her years as a 4-H leader and all of her 4-H kids held a special place in her heart.  A highlight of her 4H career was traveling on a sponsored trip to Washington, DC.

She will long be remembered for her exemplary cooking skills (especially pies, homemade buns, chocolate chip cookies, and pancakes), handicrafts (quilting, sewing, crocheting, wood-working, etc.), caring for others, ability to fix anything, and enormous sense of humor. 

In recent years she was seen buzzing the streets of Highmore on her red golf cart, picking up mail and running errands for her many friends and neighbors.

Betty is survived by her four daughters: JaNean (Al) Ryan-Cross of Loveland, CO; Shirley (Jim) Marquette of Omaha, NE; Evelyn (Johnny) Gluhm of White Sulphur Springs, MT; and Peggy Jo Koskie of Fort Collins, CO; six grandsons: Josh and (Shanessa) Gluhm, Chad (Kelsey) Gluhm, Matt (Deanna) Marquette, Rob Ryan, Steve Ryan, and Justin Koskie; seven great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and an abundance of friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Emil Eckstein, her parents Frank and Leola Davis, four brothers Darrell, Roger, Tom and Dick, and one son-in-law, Bruce Ryan.

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