Bette DeWandeler

Bette Adella (Bishop) DeWandeler passed away peacefully on May 27, 2021.

She was born in Park Rapids, Minnesota to Donald E. and Ann M. (Lindahl) Bishop on June 26, 1941. She spent her entire childhood in Park Rapids, often helping in the Bishop family store wrapping packages at Christmastime. She enjoyed spending time with friends and walking to the library, and was one of the first carhops at the Dixie Drive-In. On May 30, 1959, she married her high school sweetheart, Lewis DeWandeler, and later joined him in Oregon where he had found work in the lumber industry. They moved back to Minnesota about a year later and lived on the Ponsford Prairie. Their oldest child, Tamyra, had been born in Oregon, and was soon followed by DeAnn, Samuel and Richard. Bette worked at various jobs once all the children were in school, finally joining the US Postal Service from which she retired as Postmaster of Ponsford, Minnesota in 2002. Bette loved reading, visiting neighbors and friends, and most of all, spending time with her family.

Bette is survived by daughters Tamyra McGough and DeAnn (Blake) Redfield, sons Samuel (Diane) DeWandeler and Richard (Jeannette) DeWandeler; grandchildren Michael (Dani) DeWandeler,  Aaron (Leanna) DeWandeler, and Carmen DeWandeler; David (Tessa) Redfield, and Amy (Adam) Gronli; twelve great-grandchildren, and sisters Bonnie (Jim) Baril, Beverly (John) Hargrove, and sisters-in-law Janet (Dennis) Nickerson, Connie (Martin) Nevala, Cynthia (Jerry) Aho, Karen (Joel) DeWandeler, Ruth Pachel, Adele (Jere) Bishop and many nieces and nephews.

Bette was preceded in death by her parents, Don and Ann Bishop,  husband Lewis, in-laws Frank and Elvira DeWandeler, brothers Jere Bishop and Lee Bishop, brothers-in-law Jim Baril and Joel DeWandeler, and sister-in-law Rita (Deitchler) Bishop.

Memorials are preferred to your local library or to Hospice of the Red River Valley.