Betty Jean Parsons Oyler, 96, passed away July 21, 2024, at Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush, with Roger at her side. Betty was born March 17, 1928, at the family homestead in Quinn, SD, to Charles and Myrtle Parsons. She was the second of six children. Her family moved to Rapid City, SD while she was in grade school. Betty was an excellent student, skipping a grade and graduating from Rapid City High School in 1945. She was immediately recruited to work at the Pentagon processing center for the US Military during WWII. She was just 17 and had never traveled far from home. It was quite an adventure to go alone by train across the country to Washington DC. While there she enjoyed visiting historic sites and monuments, seeing the beautiful cherry trees in full bloom, and making new friends. She returned home after 3-4 months as WWII ended. Betty then went to work for Bell Telephone.

On June 18, 1947, Albert Oyler and Betty Parsons were married in Rapid City. Betty made three bridesmaid dresses with silk from the WWII parachutes and dyed them different colors. The new couple moved to Denver, CO where Albert worked at Gates. A few years later they bought a lot and built a home in Englewood where they lived for the next 40 years, raising their six children. As the kids got a little older, Betty went to work cleaning motel rooms for extra income. Knowing that wasn't her career choice, she purchased an old Royal typewriter, studied her shorthand, and sharpened her office skills. She went to work for the City of Denver.

In 1971 she moved back to Rapid City with the two youngest children. She was chosen for a position at Ellsworth Air Force Base and Missile Site. It was home to a Minuteman II Missile in the 1970s and under tight security. She didn't talk about her job until later, when she revealed she had been given a tour of the silo. Betty loved that she could see her mom and sisters and many of the Oylers too. She returned to Englewood after 3 years. Her next and favorite job was with South Denver Orthopedics. She was the personal assistant to Dr. Steinhart, taking shorthand notes at each patient's visit and transcribing them for records. Betty could type as fast as the Dr. could dictate. The office manager required two typewriters on her desk, when one overheated, she had a backup. Betty worked there for years, loved her job and co-workers, and was highly respected.

In 1987 Betty and Al traded their home in Englewood for a farmhouse and 10 acres in Merino, Colorado. She saw the ad in the paper, looked at the property with Albert, and traded properties with no realtors or loans involved. They lived in Merino for 25 years. Betty loved taking walks down the long dirt road two or three times a day. She enjoyed the small town after so many years in the big city, and Al had plenty of room for his old farm collectibles. Betty worked for the Sydney, NE hospital for 2 years before retirement. She was an active member of the Merino Methodist Church.

Betty will be remembered as a loving, caring mom. She sewed a lot of her children's clothes when they were young, even their baby clothes. For Easter, she made slips and dresses for herself and her girls, and shirts and trousers for the boys. Betty was a great cook and baker, most known for her homemade ice cream, fudge, divinity, pies, pot roast, fried chicken, and much more. She helped with school projects and costumes, often at the last minute, using whatever she could find. She was a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader and a PTA officer. She and the kids walked to Sunday School in Englewood every Sunday morning, played word games with them, often beat them soundly, and helped them learn.

As a grandma, Grammy (Betty) loved her grandchildren, and they loved her. Retirement allowed her more time to travel, and she was delighted to spend time with her kids, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She also loved hosting them at her house and preparing special treats for them.

Albert preceded Betty in death, on April 9, 2014; and siblings, Mary Cronin, JoAnn Pulver, and Dianne Dailey. She is survived by her children, Cindy (Jim) Wendt of Montrose, Greg (Kim) Oyler of Evergreen, Steve (Lisa) Oyler of Cedar Creek, Nebraska, Meri Oyler of North Olmstead, Ohio, Gwen (Kelly)  Hettich of Onaka, South Dakota, and Roger Oyler of Merino; 11 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two siblings, George Parsons of Raton, New Mexico, and Jennie Benson of Rapid City, South Dakota.

Betty and Albert moved to Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush in September 2012. Albert spent 1 ½ years there, and Betty called it home for 12 years. Most of her journey at Eben Ezer was spent in memory care with Alzheimer's Disease. As she gradually lost function and memory, it became increasingly difficult, not only for her but for the entire family, until she no longer recognized anyone.  We have shared parts of her life to remember Betty, our mom, celebrating who she was and what she did, rather than focusing on the disease. We know many families have faced similar challenges.

Most of all, we would like to express our extreme gratitude for the loving care she received from so many at Eben Ezer. We can't count how many people were involved in some part of her care and treated her like family in the last 12 years. We also appreciate the church services that she could attend as it was an important part of her life. We thank you for treating us like family when we visited and making a tough journey bearable for us all.

A Celebration of Betty's life will be held at Cedar Canyon Camp in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Lunch will be served for all at the dining hall at 11:45 AM, and her service will be at 1:00 PM in the upper meeting room across the drive. Signs will be posted. Betty and Albert's ashes will be taken to Mountain View Cemetery in Rapid City, SD, where both have family members interred.

Donations can be made to Eben Ezer in memory of Betty and Albert, to the newly remodeled Memory Care Unit.