Bettie Louise Peterson (Haroff)

Bettie Louise (Haroff) Peterson, one of four children of Benjamin Raymond Haroff and Jennie Evaline (Priest) Haroff, was born at home in Hastings, Iowa on November 22, 1925. Bettie passed away on February 19, 2011 with her family by her side at the age of 85 years old following a brief illness. Bettie grew up in Hastings and graduated from Hastings High School in 1943 where she was valedictorian of her class. Bettie graduated from Iowa State University in 1947 with a degree in Home Economics Education. While at Iowa State University she meet the love of her life Kyle R. Peterson Jr. and they were married on June 13th, 1948 and would have been celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary this year.
Bettie taught home economics at a variety of towns in Northwest Iowa. While in Denison they began their family and she was blessed with three sons, Kyle Peterson III, Eric Peterson, and Lyndon Peterson. In 1968 they all moved to Sioux City. While in Denison Bettie went back to Iowa State and received her master’s in Guidance Counseling Education in 1967 and began her career of 21 years at East High School as a guidance counselor. She was proud to be an East High Black Raider and she and Kyle still went to many sporting/drama events after she retired in 1989. She cared a great deal about her students and remembered many of them fondly for years after their graduation.
In her spare time she gave of herself to others and the community. Bettie judged 4-H at the county fairs for many years, was President of the American Association of University Women in Denison, IA., was a member of PEO chapter JG, and served a variety of positions in the United Methodist Women Group. There were two groups of women dear to her heart. The Round Table Study Club which she was a part of since 1989 and referred to them as the nicest group of ladies you would ever want to meet. Just as important was her coffee group on Magnolia Ct. which celebrated 35 years together last year. Those ladies were her dearest friends who she laughed and cried with as they lived through each other’s good times and bad.
Bettie loved to plant flowers, sew, and refinish furniture and she always had projects going on. Her greatest love besides her husband was her three sons, their wives and her six grandchildren. She will be remembered for the great Halloween costumes she made, special birthday cakes, and hand written notes on every card she sent as well as all the projects she did at each of their homes. In addition her wise words of wisdom on being frugal, working hard and being a kind person to others will always stay in our hearts.
Bettie was a strong and self sufficient woman up until the day the good Lord took her home. She will be missed so deeply by her husband, sons Kyle, Eric, Lyndon, daughter-in-laws, Rebecca, Mary, and Beth, grandchildren Anna, Andrew, Christine, Ben, Cameron and Samantha, her sister Mary (Jim) Haroff Koehler and their children Judy and Craig as well as her extended family and numerous friends and neighbors.
She was preceded in death by her parents, infant brother Benjamin Haroff Jr. and her younger brother William Priest Haroff.
Memorials may be given to Grace United Methodist Church or the Bettie Peterson Memorial Fund.