Memorial services for Betty Marie (Kropf) Johannsen of Albert Lea, MN, will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the Bonnerup Funeral Service in Albert Lea. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in the Freeborn Cemetery at a later date.
Betty was born to Marvel and Hilda (Schoeberlein) Kropf at the home of her fraternal grandparents in Rockwell City, Iowa on December 1, 1922. She was baptized in the Methodist Church at Farnhamville, Iowa. She attended Sunday School and public school in Farnhamville.
Her sophomore year was a Rinard and Rockwell City. In 1938 the family moved to Minnesota. She graduated in 1940 at Freeborn, MN.
She married Henry N. Johannsen on June 22, 1941 at the Methodist Church in Janesville, MN. They had two daughters, Nancy and Susan. Betty and Hank were active in the church and school.
Betty was a member of the Freeborn Congregational United Church of Christ. She was active in the Women’s Fellowship where she held each of these offices: co-chair of the Caring and Sharing Committee for 25 years; moderator for two years; Deaconess; superintendent for Sunday School and a Bible School teacher. She served with Hank as the Pilgrim Fellowship Sponsors, and the Religious Education Committee.
She represented her church many times at state conferences. She belonged to extension club; Royal Neighbors; American Legion Auxiliary; was a blood donor and loved her family. Betty worked at Gilmore’s Store in Freeborn for 5 years and at E.F. Johnson Company in Waseca over 23 years retiring in 1985.
She liked to cook and entertain. She was “Grandma Betty” to many. She is survived by her daughters, Nancy Jensen of Freeborn, MN, and Susan (Donald) Walser of Hutchinson, MN, grandchildren Melissa (Kenneth) Britzius of Wells, MN, Rhonda (Michael) Heilmann of Albert Lea, MN, Brett (Theresa) Bair of Waseca, MN, Jill (Joshua) Jeatran of Greenfield, Amanda (Kyle) Posthumus of Belle Plaine, MN, and Nicholas Walser Sr. of Hutchinson, MN.
Step grandchildren; Eric (Mary Jo) Jensen of Plymouth, MN, Lori (Ward) Blomquist of Bloomington, MN, Melissa Patterson of West Concord, MN, Sheldon Jensen of Freeborn, MN, great grandchildren; Melinda (Scot) Christensen, Todd Thiesse, Abby Hullopeter, Dallas Jacobsen, April (Justin) Miller, Alicia Heilmann, Derek Bair, Brandon Bair, Nicholas Walser Jr, Owen Jeatran, Bennett Jeatran, Henry Posthumus, will Posthumus and Maren Posthumus. Many great great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents Marvel and Hilda Kropf, in-laws Nick and Minnie Johannsen, sister Mary Kropf in infancy, son-in-law Clark Jensen, nephew Ron Kropf, niece Shirley Kopecek, step-grandaughter Robin O’Brien and great great grandson Bayden Christensen.
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