Betty Mae Barth (Hansen)

ROCK BRANCH, Iowa -- Betty M. Barth, 87, of Rock Branch passed away Saturday, March 10, 2012, surrounded by her loving family.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Rock Branch United Methodist Church, with Pastors Ben Wilson and Ralph Schram officiating. Burial will be in Rock Branch Cemetery. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Christy-Smith Morningside Chapel in Sioux City.
Betty Mae (Hansen) Barth was born Nov. 28, 1924, near Charter Oak, Iowa, the daughter of Hans and Anna (Hyiendyke) Hansen. She attended country schools in the area. She loved school and received awards for exceptional spelling and writing.
On Dec. 10, 1941, she married Allen "Gene" Barth in Ida Grove, Iowa. To this union five children were born: Kenneth, Walter, Bill, Linda and Julie. In 1948, the family moved to rural Hinton, Iowa, where they farmed for 20 years. In 1968, they moved to their farm near Rock Branch, where she currently resided with Gene. In December, they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with family and friends.
She was a member of Rock Branch United Methodist Church.
Betty was an energetic and resourceful woman of strength, integrity and class. She believed her most important calling was to love and serve her family. Their needs, success and happiness were her primary concern. She kept an immaculate house, prepared daily family meals and tended to the many chores of a farm wife. Her family was the joy of her life, and she was actively involved in the lives of each member. She was fun loving and although she was of small stature, she embraced formidable challenges. She was a very hard worker, and succeeded at most things she did. She seemed to have a "sixth sense" about many things, and her family relied upon the accuracy of her intuition. Likewise, she didn't hesitate sharing her opinions about family matters; and they, in turn, respected them. She especially enjoyed hosting family gatherings, "music parties," and she loved flying with Gene in their private airplane. She gave "her all" to her family, and in return, they loved her dearly. Her passing leaves a definite void in their lives; however, she had a deep faith in God and was confident of her place in heaven. Hence, they eagerly anticipate being reunited with her in glory.
Survivors include her husband, Gene; three children, Bill (Pat) Barth of Pierson, Iowa, Linda (Terry) Waugh of Moville, Iowa, and Julie (Charles) Schram of South Sioux City; eight grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; a brother, Clifford (Bobbi) Hansen of Le Mars, Iowa; three sisters, Grace Fouts of Onawa, Iowa, Hazel Thies of Mapleton, Iowa, and Anna Schrader of Utah; a sister-in-law, Nancy Hansen of Lafayette, La.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two infant sons, Kenneth and Walter; three sisters, Berniece Stockfelth, Helen Hartz and Luella Heinse; and five brothers, Robert, Hurby, Chet, Kyle and Jack Hansen.