Margaret "Betty" Schwanke

MARGARET JANE “BETTY” SCHWANKE , age 79 of Morristown, passed away on Sunday, July 28, 2013 at the Waterville Good Samaritan Center.

Born in Waterville on June 27, 1934, Betty was the daughter of Alfred and Kathryn (Kritzer) Morris.  She attended school in Waterville, graduating in 1952.  On October 10, 1953, Betty married Bernard Schwanke at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Waterville.  Bernard and Betty lived their entire lives in the Waterville and Morristown areas.  Over the years, Betty worked at Backman’s Produce in Waterville, Birds Eye Foods in Waseca, and Brown Printing in Waseca.  Finally, she spent over 18 years working for Mercury-Minnesota Inc.  Betty had served as a pianist and youth leader at the Morristown United Methodist Church for many years, and she volunteered with the Morristown American Legion Auxiliary, and in the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program with the Waterville Good Samaritan Nursing Home.  Betty was an active and enthusiastic gardener and she enjoyed canning and crossword puzzles.  In recent years Betty was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Waterville and was cared for in her home by her devoted husband of nearly sixty years, Bernard.

Betty is survived by her husband, Bernard Schwanke of Morristown; five children, Steven Schwanke of Woodbury, Randy (Diane) Schwanke of Dayton, OH, Gerald (Nancy) Schwanke of Mayer, Susan (Jeff) Stangler of Waterville, and Michael (Jenni) Schwanke of Faribault; 16 grandchildren, Joshua Schwanke, Rosana Schwanke, Katie Schwanke, Amanda (Richard) Middelton, Zachary (Missy) Schwanke, Vanessa (Jeremy) Anderson, Andrew Schwanke, Benjamin Schwanke, Kristin Stangler and her fiancé Michael Mertins, Karissa Stangler, Kayleen Stangler, Derek Schwanke, Madalyn Schwanke, Michelle Papadakis, Molly Wojtowicz, and Mary Beth Papadakis; as well as three great-grandchildren.  Betty is also survived by her brother Robert (Janet) Morris; her sister, Shirley Loeffler, and one sister-in-law, Kendra (Bob) Mitchell.  Betty was preceded in death by both of her parents; one brother, Bill Morris; one brother-in-law, Bob Loeffler; and two sisters-in-law, Gladys Morris and Veryl Morris.

Visitation will be held from 4-7 PM on Tuesday, July 30th at the Prosch-Dennis Funeral home in Waterville, and will continue for one hour before the service at the church on Wednesday.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday July 31st at the First Baptist Church in Waterville, with Rev. Eugene Witte officiating.  Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Morristown.