Obituary for Mrs. Betty Ann Kotval Betty Ann (Warner) Kotval, formerly of Clarissa, MN, and Monticello, MN, died peacefully on Thurs. , Sept. 6, 2018, at age 95 years, 356 days, at the Sholom Home West in St. Louis Park, MN.
She was the only child of Fred and Anna (Bohac) Warner, born Sept. 15, 1922, on her parent’s farm in southern Iona Township, Todd County, Minnesota. She attended the former rural Pleasant Valley School District 25 (Long Prairie) through 8th grade, and was the first president of a 4-H club formed in southern Iona Township.
On January 25, 1945, Betty was united in marriage to Albert Kotval. They resided initially on the Kotval family farm in northwestern Iona Township. In 1948, Albert sold the farm toJoseph Salentine, and the Kotvals moved to Clarissa where they built a house and raised their family of five children.
Betty was well-known in the Clarissa community. She worked as a waitress and fry cook for many years at the former Ma’s Café, later known as the Do Drop In. She also worked for theClarissa Public Schools, and retired after 17 years at the Central Todd County Care Center, working first as an Activities Aid and later as Activities Director.
Betty was a kind, caring, and compassionate person, and was well-loved by the Care Center residents. In 1995, she sold the family home in Clarissa and retired to Monticello, MN. Betty was a lifetime member of the Clarissa United Methodist Church, and of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 213 in Clarissa.
She was eligible for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Betty was always ready to join a travel adventure with her children be it near or far; an especially memorable trip was to the Netherlands and Belgium. Betty was an accomplished seamstress.
In later years, she enjoyed crocheting to keep her hands busy, and reading and crossword puzzles to exercise her brain. She was always ready for a game of Scrabble or Sequence. She was proud of the exercise group that she led twice weekly at her apartment building until late this summer.
Betty’s favorite saying was “Life is what happens when you’re planning something else”. In 2011, she was quietly diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She chose a noninvasive oral treatment and continued to live a normal, healthy, and independent life.
In August 2018, she was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer that quickly robbed this proud but unassuming woman of her of energy, independence, and life. Betty was predeceased by her husband in 1969. She is survived by five children: Lawrence Albert (Charyle Kayser Konerza)Kotval of Oakdale, MN; Curtis Warner (Linda Strack) Kotval of Tucson, AZ; Pamela Ann Kotval of Bloomington, MN; Allan Fredrick (Nancy Boeser) Kotval of Maple Grove, MN; and Byron Wayne (Kimberly Jager) Kotval of Sauk Rapids, MN.
She is survived by grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Molly (Mark) Juba, Andrew, and Megan of Franklin, TN; Ryan Kotval of Minneapolis, MN; Amanda Kotval, Trea, and Silas of Marshfield, MO; and Tiara (Sean) Paulus, Audree, and Levi of rural Delano, MN. The family circle also includes step-grandchildren: Gregory (Kimberly) Konerza of Becker, MN; Stacie (Shane) Derichs and Cassie (Seth) Schultz, both of Sauk Rapids, MN; and Michael Borg of Monticello, MN. Betty did not want a traditional funeral.
She thought she was too old and had been gone from Clarissa for too many years for anyone to remember her! A celebration of her life will be held on Sat. , Sept.
15, 1-3:30 p.m., at the Clarissa Senior Center, 402 Main Street West. At 4:00 p.m., her ashes will be inurned in Woodman Cemetery, Clarissa, MN, adjacent to her husband,with a short graveside service for anyone who wishes to attend. The family requests no flowers.
Memorials may be directed to the Minnesota Western Fraternal Life Scholarship Foundation (for which Betty was an active fund-raiser) or to a charity of choice.
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