Betty Jean Maier

The love story between Betty and Vern began when Betty’s family moved to Sauk City as Betty was entering fourth grade. It was then that Betty met a boy named LaVerne. When she entered high school, the only way her dad would let her go to the football games was to become a cheerleader. She had to keep her eye on the boy with the broad shoulders. The cheerleader and football player became high school sweethearts and then happily married in 1950. They had their wedding dance at a dance hall in Roxbury, which they purchased nine years later. Together they expanded the dance hall into a full-fledged supper club known as the Dorf Haus where Betty worked alongside her husband as co-owner and wore many hats including, waitress, hostess, bookkeeper, and the best cook around. Betty served as vice president of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, but her biggest and most rewarding accomplishment was raising her family. She loved them most of all.

During the course of their lives, Betty and Vern worked hard, but also made time for fun. They enjoyed dancing, playing cards, traveling with their family and friends, curling, golfing, bowling, and hunting for antiques. Betty loved sports and a Sunday wouldn’t be complete without football, baseball, or golf. Betty and Vern instilled in their children a strong faith in God and that family was most important.

Betty will be forever remembered for her beautiful smile, contagious laugh and her grace and kindness. Her positive attitude was accentuated after her diagnosis with pancreatic cancer on July 4, 2009. She led her life by example and taught all those who knew her that a positive attitude can take you a long way. A matriarch to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her strength and legacy will live on. Betty is survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. Her sisters, Mary (Bill) Hahn, Barbara (Francis “Shorty”) Young, and Marcella (Ralph) Breunig. Sisters-in-law, Rose Endres, Florina Lenerz, Betty (Bud) Hutter, Darlene (Gene) Pings, Joan Riechman, and Dolores Maier and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

The perfect love story lives on as Betty joins Vern, her husband of 62 years of marriage, just 22 days after his passing. She was also preceded in death by her parents, her infant daughter, Mary; her son Michael; infant granddaughter, Lara, brothers-in-law, George Maier, Edward Mulhall, Greg Endres, Howard Lenerz, Herb Maier, Ken Dederich, Mike Riechman, Ron Maier, and sisters-in-law, Florentina Maier and Anna Mulhall.

A mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 6, 2012, at 11 a.m. at St. NORBERT’S CATHOLIC CHURCH in Roxbury with Father John Blewett and Father Gary Wankerl presiding. Burial will be at the Garden Bluff Cemetery, Lodi. Friends may call on Thursday, July 5, 2012, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at HOOVERSON FUNERAL HOME in Sauk City. Friends may also call on Friday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home prior to mass.

The family would like to thank Nancy Miller for her wonderful contribution to our parent’s care during this time. Also, we would like to thank Dr. Noelle LoConte and RN Sandra Burns from UW Carbone Cancer Center for their care and support on her journey. Mom, thank you for your unending love, positive thinking, wisdom, advice, encouragement, courage, hope and strength that will carry on in us forever. We love you with all our hearts. Memorials may be given to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.