Betty Jane Parsons, 88, Rapid City formerly of St. Onge, died Friday November 7, 2014.

Funeral services will be 10:00 am Wednesday November 12, 2014 at the St. Onge United Church of Christ, with Pastor Del Neumeister officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. Burial will follow at the Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis.

Betty was born May 9, 1929, on the family ranch northwest of Belle Fourche, SD to Carl and Alice (Schafer) Klein. As a child she enjoyed working on the ranch, herding sheep and riding horses with her sister. She graduated from Belle Fourche high school in 1945. In 1946 Betty married Verne Parsons from Brattleboro, Vermont; they met as pen pals during the war. They moved to Vermont soon after they were married, where their first daughter was born. They moved back to South Dakota and lived in Belle Fourche and St. Onge. They went on to have four more children. Betty was very active in church and did babysitting for many of the grandchildren and the neighborhood children. The past seven years of her life she was a resident of the Golden Living Center, where she touched many of the staff members. She enjoyed going out on outings and having ice cream on Thursdays.

Grateful for sharing her life are her children, Joyce (Doug) Schumacher, Rapid City, Harley (Winifred) Parsons, New Castle, WY, Robert (Judy) Parsons, Casper, WY, Janet (Brad) Bachman, Rapid City and Larry (Laura) Parsons, Whitewood. 12 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild due in January.

She was preceded in death, by her husband Verne, her parents, one brother and two sisters.

"While I sit close beside you, content at last to see you, that you can rest, dear mother and I can cherish thee." Louisa May Alcott

Click on link to view service folder