Betty Jean (Oeltjen) Johnson

Betty Jean (Oeltjen) Johnson

1934 to 2014

Betty Jean (Oeltjen) Johnson, 80, passed away Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo.

Her funeral service was held Monday, March 10, at 10 a.m. at the First English Lutheran Church in Kimball. Internment will be at Potter Cemetery.

Visitation was held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sun., March 9, at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball.

Memorials may be made to First English Lutheran Church, Kimball; Calvary Lutheran Church, Scottsbluff; Banner County Fire Dept., Harrisburg; Dix Fire Dept., Dix; or Potter Fire Dept., Potter.

Condolences may be sent to the Cantrell Funeral Home or posted on Betty's obituary page on their website http://www.cantrellfh.com.

Betty was born on Feb. 10, 1934, in Sidney, to Anton and Bessie (Slama) Oeltjen. She graduated from Potter High School in May, 1951. On Aug. 5, 1951, she was united in marriage to Norman Wade Johnson. They started their married life north of Dix on the Ollic and Mary Johnson homestead. In 1956, they moved to the Kirk neighborhood in Banner County. Upon the death of her husband, she moved to Scottsbluff and was currently residing at Northfield Villa in Gering.

Betty was involved with Banner County school activities, active in UNL Extension Club, LCW (First Lutheran Church of Potter), a member of Calvary Lutheran Church in Scottsbluff, Dix Legion Auxiliary and Nebraska Cattlewomen. She also belonged to bridge/pinochle clubs and Promenader's Square Dance Club. Her passions were her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, baking and her flower gardens.

She is survived by her children, Janet Johnson of Banner County, Gary Johnson of Banner County, Debra Johnson of Lincoln and Wanda Bartling of Sidney; grandchildren and spouses, Brent (Susie) Johnson, Ryan (Tiffany) Johnson, Kyle (Laura) Johnson, Alex Garden, Karisa (Mike) Bartling and Shane Bartling; great-grandchildren, Melissa, Amaya, Trajan, Chance, Raven, Matthew, Zach, Nolan and Thea; brothers, Delmer (Phyllis) Oeltjen, Keizer, Ore., and Vernon Oeltjen, Kimball; nephews, John (Carla) Oeltjen, Sydney, Australia, Jim (Debbie) Oeltjen, Salem, Ore .; niece, Lori Oeltjen, Kimball.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Norman; her parents, Anton and Bessie Oeltjen, Ollic and Mary Johnson; brother, Raymond Smith; sisters-in-law, Vera Smith and Della Mae Oeltjen.