Memorial services for Bettie L. Nielsen, 69, will be at 10:00AM, Saturday, May 29, 2010, at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings, SD. She died peacefully on Saturday, January 23, 2010, in Brookings, SD.

Bettie Lorraine Harris was born on July 18, 1940, in Sioux City, IA, the daughter of Hubert and Gertrude (Monahan) Harris. She received her education at Central High School in Sioux City, IA. and was later employed as a teachers aid while in Sioux City. Bettie was united in marriage to Richard Nielsen on November 30, 1958, in Elk Point, SD. Bettie and Richard lived in Sioux City, IA for 12 years before moving to Fremont, NE until 1980. They then moved to Littleton, CO. until 1985, when they moved to Aurora, SD. In addition to being a wonderful mother and homemaker, she also assisted her husband with his insurance agency in Brookings, SD.

Bettie loved to read, listen to music and working on crossword puzzels. She received joy with her yard flowers, the birds and the wildlife that lived in the area.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband Richard of Aurora, SD; her two daughters Cyndee (Robert) Craighead of Commerce City, CO, Tamara Maness of Rusk, TX; three grandchildren Abbey, Emma and Katie; and two sisters Kay (Loren “Skip”) Lagan of Sioux City, IA, and Anna (James) Gorman of Goodyear, Arizona.

Bettie was preceded in death by her parents, one grandson David, one brother Ken Harris, son-in-law Phillip Maness and father and mother-in-law Floyd and Ruby Nielsen.