Betty Lou Spina

Betty Lou Martha (Olson) Spina was born August 12, 1938, in Norland Township, Salol, MN, and passed away at St. Luke’s Nursing Home in Dickinson, ND, on August 28, 2023, at the age of 85 years.

Left to mourn her passing are her children Greg (Julie); Jean (Jerry) Delorme; Gary; and Kari (Blake) Dunn.  She is also survived by her brother, Raymond Olson, and her many grandchildren and great grandchildren: Megan Piekutowski and Brendan; Natalie (Brad) Nitchke and Grayce, Elsie and Nancy; Neil (Jessica) Ebeling and Easton, Colby and Bodee; Jordan Spina (Alicia) and Ava and Kasen; Courtney (Jesse) Goutermont; Morgan Spina (Aaron); Hunter (Emma) Spina; Paige Saurdiff and Beau Dunn, as well as many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband, John, and her beloved son, Geoffrey; her parents, Seth and Margaret Olson; and her siblings, Ethel (John) Brenhaug; Abel; Helen (Ervin) Sjodin; Rita Mitchell; and Earl (Edith) Olson.

Betty was born and raised in rural Salol, MN.  In 1956, she married John Spina and their life as a farm family began.  They farmed their entire life retiring in the early 2000’s.  In addition to farming, when the older children were small, she was employed at Sheltering Oaks Nursing Home.  Later, she attended the Minnesota School of Business and was employed for a number of years in the office at Polaris in Roseau.

Mom was always a busy farm wife.  She so enjoyed her flowers and gardens, picking blueberries and making delicious pickles, jams, and jellies.  She was a wonderful cook and we all enjoyed her fabulous meals.

Mom was a very creative person.  She designed their farm home and also designed their beautiful retirement home.  She had a flair for design and décor and her home reflected that.

Mom loved fashion and jewelry.  She had an eye for color and style.  In her later years, she so enjoyed her jewelry and fashion finds, always looking like a million!

She was also an expert at crotchet.  We all have been gifted with beautiful keepsakes of her handiwork.

In her later years, she also became an avid collector of all things beautiful to her, old and new.  She enjoyed her many collections of dishes, pottery, albums, figurines and lots of teddy bears.  Her collections were beautiful, and they added to her tasteful home décor, which she so enjoyed. 

Mom was an active member of St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Falun and later, St. Joseph’s in Moorhead.

Mom and Dad enjoyed many trips and had traveled around much of the U.S.  She loved the tropical destinations she had been to, such as, the Bahamas and Hawaii.

In June of 2021, Mom and Dad sold their retirement home and relocated to Moorhead, MN.  In the spring of 2023, with failing health, she moved to Dickinson, ND, where she resided at the time of her passing.

Hers was a faith-filled life, well lived, blessed with five healthy children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren, whom she dearly loved.  She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at 10:00am with a memorial mass at 11:00am at St. Joesph Catholic Church in Moorhead, MN. Interment will be held at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Roseau, MN.

Arrangements entrusted to the care of Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center, Fargo. To sign the online guestbook and view Betty’s service, please visit www.boulgerfuneralhome.com