Funeral services for Betty Jean Miller of Freeborn, formerly of New Richland, MN and Minneapolis, MN, will be held on Friday, January 23, 2015 at 10 a.m. at St. Peter Lutheran Church in New Richland, the Rev. Scott Williams officiating, and on January 24, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Milaca, MN, the Rev. Stephen Blenkush officiating.
Betty passed from this world on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, MN, at the age of 72.
Betty was born on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942 at the University of Minnesota Hospital, the daughter of Algot (“Jack”) and Edith (Lamprecht) Jackson of Minneapolis, MN. She started and ended her life at the University of Minnesota with the donation of her body to science.
In September 1959 she married her first husband, Robin Miller, and they had Kimberly (Miller) Tschida. In 1965 she gave birth to a baby girl in Texas whom she gave up for adoption. It was the hardest decision of her life, but later in life she was elated to meet and have a relationship with her! In 1969, when she was pregnant with Lori (Miller/Munkberg) Haler, she divorced Robin. In September 1973 Betty married John Munkberg, and he adopted Lon.
Betty was a hard worker and held many jobs during her life, including at Honeywell, Univac, Hennepin County Welfare, Fuel Assistance, and managing various apartment buildings in different states. She was also a co-owner of the Children’s Sample Shop in Robbinsdale, MN until she sold it to her parents. John and Betty even tried their hand in the restaurant business with the Log Cabin Café in Sundance, WY. Her last job was in the kitchen at NRHEG, where she loved serving and visiting the students, including some of her grandchildren.
Betty loved camping and traveling all over the U.S. During her life, she lived on the East Coast, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Wyoming, but she always returned to Minnesota. She and John even visited the Bahamas on a cruise. She had many interests, such as sewing, gardening, making quilts, and spending time with her grandchildren.
While living in New Richland she started to research her family history. She discovered that her ancestors from Sweden first settled in New Richland. Betty’s great-grandma Hulda Carlsson is even buried in the Vista Cemetery in New Richland. Betty became involved with the New Richland Area Historical Society because of her love of family history.
Betty is survived by her children: Kimberly (Kosek) Tschida of Shakopee, Abbeye (Jodie) Zavodny of Texas, and Lori Haler of Freeborn. Grandchildren include: Samantha (Deb) Tschida, Nicholas (Anna) Tschida, Zachary (Liz) Tschida, Allison Tschida, Rachel Kosek, Jacob Kosek, Ashlyn Zavodny, Alyssa Zavodny, Ashlee Haler, Alexis Munkberg, Lucas Haler, and Lily Haler. Great-grandchildren include: Madeline Tschida (daughter of Samantha), Jaxon Kauffmann (son of Ashlee), Riley (son of Zachary and Liz), Maverick (Son of Zachary and Liz), and Willamina (Daughter of Nicholas and Anna). Also by her brother David (Jean) Jackson of Princeton and their children Wendy and Todd, her sister Fay (Tim) Palmer of Gainesville, FL and their children Krissi and Kelly, ex-brother-in-law Gene Leiner and his children Greg and Shari, aunts Doris Nelson and Marian Lamprecht, and many other relatives and friends.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents Jack and Edith Jackson, her sister and brother-in-law Carol Leiner (Roger) Paulson, husbands Robin Miller and John Munkberg, and aunts and all uncles.