Anderson Funeral Home
Homeserving families for over 70 years
312 South Stone St.
Augusta, WI 54722
715-286-2222
Betty Davis
Betty Davis, our mom, was quite the woman. Born Betty Elvine on her parent’s farm April 16, 1932, she grew up during the depression, never forgot how tough times could be, and appreciated everything.
She married Carl Davis in 1949 and spent many years in Minneapolis, except for summers when she would escape to Treasure Island on Lake Vermilion with her daughters and a different round of company every weekend. She worked hard transforming the island cabin into a beautiful space and would get up earlier than anyone else just to sit with her coffee and watch the birds.
She earned the nickname “The Terminator” with her family for her fearlessness protecting the cabin from raccoons, wood chucks and bats. She was crazy for berries- dragging her daughters out to the patch as soon as the sun came up when the raspberries and blueberries were in season. There was always raspberry jelly or blueberry coffee cake as a reward when the work was done. Betty was an artist, a seamstress, an upholsterer, a gardener, a great cook, and an even better mom and grandma. She loved her evening brandy, a new outfit, and most of all her family.
When her husband died in 1993, she asked to return to farm life and joined her daughter in Fall Creek for the next 22 years. She loved all the baby lambs, rabbits, and dogs, but most of all, she loved the cats. Hers, the neighbors, strays, it didn’t matter. She fed and loved them all. She once hid two kittens in her bathroom so her daughter wouldn’t give them away. Her family is very sorry if you are the only person in the county who wasn’t on the receiving end of one of her hand stitched signature casserole covers that she loved making.
How she survived to be 90 is a wonder to everyone. From the time she was a baby and survived a high fever to a near carbon monoxide disaster, a gas explosion, and multiple life threatening illnesses in the last 9 years of her life, she toughed them all out and defied the odds (and medical science) again and again.
In 2019, she suffered a major fall and sadly had to leave her home. She spent her last 3 years at Oakwood Villa in Altoona where a very loving staff took beautiful care of her, including tucking her in bed every night with her stuffed cats. Even on the final night of her life, they made sure she had a cat in her arms when she passed on. She became a nursing home favorite, and they loved her sassy personality.
Betty’s family is so grateful for all the love, care, and attention she received at Oakwood Villa as well as from St. Joseph’s Hospice. Pastor Mark could make her laugh, and he took the time to find her favorite music and serenade her during memorable COVID Zoom visits. She spent her life caring for others and deserved every bit of the loving care she received these past years.
She is survived by her daughters Linda Davis, Carolyn (Walter) Craft, and Peggy (Dwight) Weber, 7 grandchildren Jim Rogers, Liana Rikala, Rachel (Brandon) Lane, Griff Coffman, Chris Weber, Andy (Ashley) Weber and Mike (Frankee Stokes) Weber, 16 great-grandchildren, four nephews, cousins both in Minnesota and in Sweden, and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents Thure and Astrid Elvine, her husband Carl Davis, her brother Rodney (Pug), Pug’s wife Barb, and her brother Vernon.
A public memorial service will be held on October 30th at 1:00pm at VFW Post 305 in Eau Claire, WI with a light lunch to follow.
She will be buried in Dalbo, Minnesota, with her family that preceded her.
The family is assisted by Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta.
Online condolences can be left at www.andersonfhaugusta.com
