Lela Irene Betts

The Betts family is sponsoring a brief celebration of life reception at the Campbell County Recreation Department, Monday, January 17, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. where cookies and coffee will be served for all of Lela's morning exercise buddies. Lela Irene (Hager) Betts, age 93, mother to two Gillette residents, passed away January 12, 2011, at Campbell County Memorial Hospital from natural causes. Lela Irene was born December 20, 1917, the youngest of eight children, to Ole Petter Olsen Hager and Marie Olsdatter Hager, on the family farm outside the town of Beach, North Dakota. The Hager family moved to the Dayton, Wyoming area in 1923, where she attended public schools in both Dayton, Wyoming, and Wyola, Montana. Lela married Jasper "Jack" Robley Bouck (1938) and had two children, Robert L. and Shirley L. (Bouck) Conley. Lela's second marriage to Harold Orvil Betts (1948) resulted in three additional children, Roger K., John D., and Rhea J. Betts. The Betts family lived in a few local Montana communities; Billings, Fromberg, Columbus, and in the Wyoming communities of Powell and Gillette (for 9 years), before moving back to the Betts family farm property in Hardin, Montana in 1975. Lela worked a few seasonal jobs but mainly was a homemaker taking care of her family. She was known for her large gardens, chicken'n dumplings, chokecherry syrup, jellies, home-made bread, milk gravy, and the best Norwegian flatbread lefse. Lela enjoyed making homemade presents for her family and friends. It was the norm to receive handmade items on special occasions such as, knitted or crocheted, slippers, mittens, or hats. She was an excellent seamstress and did needlepoint and tatting. In her spare time she was a avid health information reader. Family and friends will miss her unique humor, quick wit, and her compassion for others. Lela is survived by three of her children: Robert L. Bouck of Tacna Arizona, John D. Betts of Gillette, Wyoming and Rhea J. Betts of Gillette Wyoming; nine grand children, 17 great-grand children, and 2 great-great grand children.She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Marie Hager, her six brothers, Oskar, Sverre, John, Arnold, Edwin, and Charlie Hager, and one sister, Magnhild Agate (Hager) Shibley, her husband, Harold Orvil Betts, and two of her children, Shirley L.(Bouck) Conley and Rodger K. Betts.Memorials and condolences may be sent in Lela's name in care of the Gillette Memorial Chapel, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or condolences via the internet at www.gillettememorialchapel.com.Funeral Home:Gillette Memorial Chapel210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WYUS 82716