Betty Gruber
Betty Mae Lorraine Gruber, 89, Luverne, died Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Society Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne.
A graveside committal of cremains will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2019, at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. A reception will follow in the lower level of the Rock County Veterans Memorial Building at 213 East Luverne Street in Luverne.
Betty Goettsch was born Dec. 24, 1929, to Richard and Elizabeth (Bendt) Goettsch in Battle Plain Township. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick. She graduated from Luverne High School in 1947 and began working as a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell in Luverne.
Betty married Alvin Gruber on Aug. 7, 1950, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick. The couple lived in Luverne until Betty’s career opportunities took them to Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
Betty worked for Northwestern Bell in Luverne until 1957. From 1957 through 1958 she worked for Northwestern Bell as district traffic chief clerk in Redwood Falls before returning to Luverne as chief operator. In 1969 Betty accepted the position of chief operator for Mountain Bell in Canon City, Colorado. In 1971 she became traffic service manager for Mountain Bell in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1975 she and Al moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she worked for Mountain Bell as operations services manager and force manager before retiring in 1985 in the position of Force & Financial Services Manager for the Central Administrative Group of U.S. West.
Following retirement, Betty and Al moved to Burlington, Texas, where they enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with her sister Marlene and her family. Betty moved back to Luverne in 1990 following Al’s death where she remained for the rest of her life.
Betty’s faith was an important part of her life and she maintained active membership in the Missouri Synod Church throughout her life. Upon returning to Luverne, she joined St. John Lutheran Church where she remained a member until her death.
Betty is survived by a sister, Marlene Dagel, Fort Worth, Texas; a brother, Dale (Millie) Goettsch, New Brighton; a sister-in-law, Carol Goettsch, Circle Pines; and many nieces and nephews. She enjoyed special relationships with friends Jane and Larry Lanphere, Marvella and Jim Goembel and Carol Kuhlman.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alvin on April 11, 1990; and a brother, Arland Goettsch.
Arrangements are provided by Dingmann Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Luverne, www.dingmannandsons.com.
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