Finanger, Beatrice Margaret (Peterson) -- 1906 - 2005

FINANGER, PETERSON, NEPRUD, BARNES, DUGINSKI, KUFAHL, DAHL, MOEN, CHYLE, NUESSE, NICOLET, RILLEY, WHEELOCK, BROTHERSON, HOOGENHOUS, RANDA

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/23/2012 at 17:28:35

Beatrice M. Finanger, age 99, of Decorah, Iowa and formerly of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, died Tuesday, August 16, 2005 at the Barthell Eastern Star Home in Decorah.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, August 25, 2005 at Decorah Lutheran Church by the Rev. James Glesne with burial at 3:00 P.M. Thursday at Coon Prairie Lutheran Cemetery in Westby, Wisconsin.

Friends may call from 9:00-11:00 A.M. Thursday at Decorah Lutheran Church. Fjelstul Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Beatrice Margaret (Peterson) Finanger was born May 6, 1906 in Westby, Wisconsin, the daughter of Oluf and Laura (Neprud) Peterson. Growing up in Westby, she was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, played basketball on a girl’s traveling team, loved to ski and graduated from Westby High School with the class of 1924. After working as a dental assistant for one year, she attended LaCrosse State College.

Betty met and married Earl I. Finanger on October 16, 1926 in Winona, MN. To this union, three children were born: David, Kenton, and Patricia. They lived in Melrose, LaCrosse, Wauwatosa and Brookfield, Wisconsin. The Gateway Transportation Co. employed her husband. They were very active members of Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee where they had many close friends. She was a homemaker and loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother for all of her life. When her husband’s health failed, she worked at Gimbel’s Department Store in Milwaukee, then for a number of years as a cook for the Brookfield, WI grade school, and then completed training at Purdue University to become a College Dormitory Head Resident. She served Luther College in Decorah, IA for twelve years as the Head Resident of Larson Hall, and an additional nine years as housemother of Pi Kappa Phi Sorority House on the University of Minnesota Campus in Minneapolis. She loved this type of work and was extremely gifted in listening, counseling and assisting in the development of young college-aged girls. She retired in 1980, and moved to Eau Claire, WI near her daughter Pat. She became an active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire and made many friends within the community.

Betty moved to Decorah, IA and became a resident of the Barthell Eastern Star Nursing Home on April 9, 2001. She died there on Tuesday evening, August 16, 2005 at the age of 99 years.

Survivors include her three children, 11 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren: David (Carol) Finanger of Merrill, WI, and their family: Kristin (Jacob) Barnes and their children Emma, Seth and Peter Barnes; Erik (Lori Duginski) Finanger, Kari (John) Kufahl and their children Dan and Tim Kufahl; Kenton (Lois Dahl) Finanger and their family: Mark (Lois) Finanger and their children Lars, Hans and Andrew, Phillip (Kim) Finanger and their children Anna, Erika and Christa, Judith (Larry) Moen and their children Allison and Blake Moen, Daniel (Lori) Finanger and their children Scott and Jonathan, Sarah (Craig) Chyle and their children Caleb, Camrin and Chloe; Patricia (David) Nuesse of Eau Claire, WI, and their family, Laura (Gene) Nicolet and their children Grant, Teresa and Megan, Lowell (Julie) Nuesse and their son Kyle, and Rhonda L. Nuesse; a brother-in-law and his wife, Roald (Julie) Finanger of Rochester, MN; a sister-in-law Jean Finanger of Minnetonka, MN; together with many cousins, nieces and nephews. Also surviving are 4 step-grandchildren and 5 step-great-grandchildren; Deb (Tim) Rilley, Brian (Nancy) Dahl and their children Erik and Jorgen, Steve (Deb) Dahl, Nacia (Mike) Wheelock and their children Alicia, Joe and Dan.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Earl in July 1957; her parents Oluf and Laura Peterson; her brother Lester, his wife Ruth and their daughter Joan Peterson; her parents-in-law Oscar and Marie Finanger; her brothers and sisters-in-law John Finanger, Oren Finanger and wife Ethel, Paul Finanger, Ellen (Finanger) and husband Connie Brotherson and Thora (Finanger) Hoogenhous; daughter-in-law Lucia (Engelstad) Finanger; nephews Bill and Jerry Hoogenhous; and niece Sally (Finanger) Randa.

Memorials may be given to Luther College, Barthell Eastern Star Nursing Home, or Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, 8424 W. Center Street, Milwaukee, WI 53222.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

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