Betty Lois was born on March 6, 1926, at the family farm north of Correll, Minnesota, to Melvin and Betty Shelstad. The doctor couldn't get there in time because of a blizzard, so she was delivered by her grandmother and her first bed was a dresser drawer. She learned to walk at 8 months with the help of Carlo, their big and gentle dog. He would lay down so she could grab his fur and he would slowly rise while she hung on and walked along. Betty helped with the daily chores around the farm, milking cows, slopping the hogs, gathering eggs, and tending the garden. After church on Sundays, they packed a picnic lunch, grabbed their fishing poles, and headed to the river. They enjoyed large family gatherings with lots of cousins to play with and plenty of delicious food.

Betty attended Oak Grove Lutheran High School, where she met her future husband and graduated in 1944. She was a cheerleader and he was a basketball player. Betty loved music and was in the traveling choir. She was frequently asked to be the soloist at special occasions in the communities where she lived. In her youth, she could really 'cut a rug' and loved to schottische. Betty received her teaching certificate in just six weeks from Northern State Normal College in Aberdeen, SD, and taught at country schools in South Dakota and Minnesota.

Betty married Don Bolstad on June 29, 1946, at the country Lutheran Church near Odessa, MN, and they had five children. They farmed at Westby, MT, lived in Medicine Lake for a short time, and eventually moved to the Bolstad homestead near Homestead, MT, for a number of years. They were farmers/ranchers and custom harvesters, traveling from Oklahoma to Canada every year. They built a new home and moved to Medicine Lake in 1969. In 1970, Betty opened the Laketonian Restaurant which she owned and operated until 1985. Her wonderful cooking talents were put to good use serving delicious smorgasbords. She set aside a little money each month so they could finally take a vacation she had long dreamed of to Hawaii with their dear friends.

After she sold the restaurant, Betty went back to traveling with Don, harvesting and trucking until he passed away in 1991. A highlight in their later years of combining was being in a CBS movie, "An American Harvest" with movie stars Earl Holliman and Wayne Rogers. Betty moved to Sidney, MT, and worked as a cashier/hostess at the M&M Café for a number of years. She recently moved to Spearfish, SD, in May so she could be closer to some of her family. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, loved a good joke, and played a very clever hand of whist and rummy. In later years, her TV was tuned to the Big Joe Polka Show or the Game Show Network – and she could answer most of the questions! Betty took great pride in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Betty passed away September 10, 2011, from complications of surgery, in Spearfish, SD, at the age of 85. Betty was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Don; two sons, Carlyle and Bruce; and her brother, Verlyn Shelstad. She is survived by three daughters: Judy (Tom) Davis of Livingston, MT; Patsy (Randy) Schmidt of Rapid City, SD; and Nancy (Hal) Bowles of Hulett, WY; a daughter-in-law, Shari Bolstad of Williston, ND; a sister, Bly Jallo of Sartel, MN; eight grandchildren: Stephanie (Chris) Neill of Marietta, GA; Kory (Carrie) Bolstad of Williston, ND; Lisa (Keil) Fisher of Belle Fourche, SD; Amanda (Jason) Tschetter of Rapid City, SD; Jennifer (Steven) Welzenbach of Billings, MT; Justin (Emily) Davis of Belgrade, MT; Megan and Mariah Bowles of Hulett, WY; 12 great-grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Kash, Matte, Adrik, Dylan, Jantzen, Will, Keison, Kinley, Aubrynne, Leah, and Evelyn; and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral Services for Betty will be at 11:00 AM Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service. Burial will be at a later date in Livingston, MT. A "Betty Bolstad Memorial" has been established at: Oak Grove Lutheran School, 124 N Terrace, Fargo ND 58102 or www.oakgrovelutheran.com.