Bethel "Betsy" J. Coe

Bethel "Betsy" J. Coe, 88, passed away on Monday, August 4, 2014, at the Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes.  Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, 2014, at the Havre Assembly of God Church with Pastor John Chapman officiating. The family has requested that memorials be made in Betsy's name to World Vision, PO Box 9716, Federal Way, WA  98063, or to Newborns in Need, 3323 Transou Road, Pfafftown, NC  27040. 

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.  Please visit Betsy's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for the family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Betsy was born on Dec. 6, 1925, at the family farm in Hershey Township, Nobles County, Minnesota, to Bert and Ethel (Palmer) Riemersma. She was raised in Minnesota, graduating from Brewster High School in 1943. Following her high school years, she spent her summers teaching VBS for Wisconsin Rural Missions and the American Sunday School Union. She attended Northwestern Bible School in Minneapolis for a year, Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, for a year, and graduated from Western Montana College of Education in Dillon, Montana, in 1955. On June 4, 1955, Betsy married Charles F. "Bing" Coe in Great Falls, and the couple made their home in the Malta area, where Betsy taught country school at Fourchette School, Berg School and Cree Crossing School, all in Phillips County. In 1968, Betsy and Bing moved to Havre, where Betsy owned the Artisan's Workshop.

Betsy was a member of the Prairie Bells Homemakers, serving as president of the Hill County chapter, was on the executive board of the Christian Women's Club and was an entrepreneur with various MLMs.

She was a prolific writer, whose poetry has been published in several books. Betsy remained busy, even into her retirement. She crocheted hats for cancer patients, made blankets for Newborns in Need and slippers for HeadStart. Her favorite pastimes were crocheting, gardening, cooking, cake decoration, crafts, dolls (both repairing and making clothes for them) and making doll furniture.

Betsy was preceded in death by her parents, Bert and Ethel Reimersma; her sister Lulu Andersen; and her brother, Gerald Riemersma.

  She is survived by Bing, her beloved husband of 59 years, of Havre; her sons Michael of Havre and Wesley of Big Sandy; her four grandchildren; her two great-grandchildren; her sister Darlene Green of Mountain Lake, Minnesota; and numerous nieces and nephews.