Betty Lou Grabau, 82

Published 10:09 am Friday, January 7, 2011

Betty Lou Grabau, 82, of Spring Valley, died Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 5, 2011, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Betty Grabau

Betty was born June 23, 1928, the daughter of Bart and Beatrice (Nemec) Bender. She was born and raised in Spring Valley, graduating from Spring Valley High School in 1946.

Betty attended business school in Owatonna for two years. She worked at Jostens until her marriage to Arlow Grabau on Sept. 30, 1950, in Spring Valley. The couple made their home on a farm in Forestville Township, Fillmore Co. She was employed a number of years in the Wykoff and Spring Valley School Districts.

The couple retired from farming and moved into Spring Valley in 2004.

Betty was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Spring Valley where she was active in the choir and bell choir. She recently received a 66-year commemoration from the church for her musical services.

She was a Girl Scout, a Girl Scout leader and member of the Thriftyville Social Club, the Wykoff American Legion Auxiliary and Spring Valley VFW Auxiliary. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, playing cards, gardening and flowers.

She is survived by her husband, Arlow; daughters, Sally Grabau of Austin and Teresa (James) Heimsness of Oronoco; three grandchildren: Molly Grabau, Kalli Heimsness and Tyler Heimsness; sister, Donna (Russell “Jack”) Ristau of Preston and brother, Roger (Kay) Bender of Barron, Wisc.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Evelyn Grabau.

The funeral will be at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church with Rev.’s Dennis Timmerman and Laura Fladten co-officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the Thauwald Funeral Home in Spring Valley from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Saturday and at the church on Sunday an hour before the service.

Online condolences can be left at thauwaldfuneralhomes.com.