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Bette S. (Mrs. Leo) Titze Jul 07 2008 |
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 Funeral services for Bette S. Titze, age 82, of Watertown, SD, will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2008, in the First United Methodist Church, Watertown. Rev. Eric Grinager and Rev. Tom Christenson will officiate. Music will be provided by A.J. Sherrill, Kristin Jenson, Kathy Hardina, and June (Nygaard) Schroeder. Bette passed away on Monday, July 7, 2008, in a care center at Watertown. She was the widow of Dr. Leo. O. Titze who passed away on March 16, 2002.
Burial will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be: the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Kidney Dialysis staff, Dr. Larry Burris, Dr. Jeff Johnson, and the Jenkins Living Center staff. Active pallbearers will be Bette’s grandchildren: Melissa Hinderaker, Eric Titze, Tyler Beck, Ryan Beck, Thad Titze, and Kirsten Titze. Visitation will be in the Crawford Funeral Chapel, Watertown, on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Thursday prior to services in the church. The family is requested to meet in the church chapel on Thursday by 12:30 p.m. for a family prayer service. Bertha “Bette” Ragnhild was born on January 29, 1926, in Chicago, IL, to Nils and Maria (Marvik) Simonsen, who had emigrated from Norway. She was their only child born in the United States. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Bette graduated from Kelvyn Park High School in Chicago and completed nurse’s training at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital, Chicago, in 1947. She was proud to be a Registered Nurse; she practiced as a surgical and factory nurse. On December 28, 1949, Bette married Leo O. Titze in Chicago. After he completed dental school at Northwestern University in 1952, they made their home in Watertown, SD, where they raised four children during their 52 years of marriage. Much of Bette’s life centered on the church. She was a longtime member of Grace Lutheran Church and was active in committees, Grace Lutheran Church Women, circles, and Bible studies. She directed the children’s Sunbeam Choir, sang in the Senior Choir, and especially enjoyed presenting Handel’s “Messiah.” She was also a leader in the conference-level churchwomen’s organization. The Titzes were charter members of Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in 1960. In the Watertown community, Bette’s service included the American Red Cross Bloodmobile, American Heart Association, American Cancer Association, Watertown Community Concert Association, Northern Prairie Performing Arts, Watertown Town Players, and Watertown Church Women United. Together with her husband, she supported fine arts and sports of the Watertown School District and attended many other community events. Her hobbies included Hardanger embroidery, knitting, and various crafts. She enjoyed homemaking, entertaining, collecting, traveling, and caring for others. Survivors include her children and families: Grant and Deb Titze, Watertown, Melissa Hinderaker, Omaha, NE, and Eric Titze, Minneapolis, MN; Meg Beck, Tyler and Ryan, Andover, KS; Blair and Nancy Titze, Thad and Kirsten, Watertown; and Drake’s children, Seth and Dawn Williams, Sioux Falls; one nephew, Dennis Lackie, Mundelein, IL; one niece, Linda Laugaland, Sandnes, Norway; and four sisters-in-law and their families: Clara (Hal) Neugebauer, Fargo, ND; “Teeny” (Jim) Kurz, Monroe City, MO; Kay Oliver, Sante Fe, NM; and Marlene (Dean) Swanson, Worthington, MN; and the families of her deceased sisters-in-law: Viola Sorvaag and Leona Erickson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo; one son, Drake; her parents; three brothers: George, Olaf, and Harold; and one sister, Dagny. Memorials may be directed to the Drake Alan Titze Memorial Track Scholarship or the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation Kidney Dialysis Unit. |
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