Betty Lou Nathan, 97, rural Turtle Lake, ND formerly of McClusky and Bismarck passed away peacefully on April 9, 2025 at CHI St. Alexius Health, Turtle Lake.  Cremation will take place and a Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, rural Turtle Lake with Minister Sam Trottier officiating. A time of lunch and fellowship will follow the service in the church basement.  Inurnment will be held at a later date in the Turtle Lake Cemetery.  The service will be livestream at the bottom of her obituary on this page.

She was born on June 26, 1927, in Turtle Lake, she was the only child of Sander and Charlotte (Jennings) Johnson.  Betty's life journey took her through various states, including Minnesota and Montana, before returning to Turtle Lake beginning her senior year of high school. She graduated from Turtle Lake High School in May 1945 and shortly thereafter, on July 2, 1945, married Herbert Nathan. Together they made their home on the family farm, where Betty thrived as a devoted farm wife, homemaker and mother. In later years she enjoyed spending winters in Arizona with close cousins and friends.

Creative, intelligent and endlessly curious, Betty was a woman of many passions. She was a gifted china painter and instructor. She was a reflexologist and an enthusiastic belly dancer—designing and sewing her own costumes. Her hobbies were as vibrant as she was: gardening, card playing, massage and studying astrology. Known affectionately as "the Hooch Grandma", Betty delighted in crafting homemade redeye, limoncello and blackberry brandy. She loved long dangling earrings and anything made with fringe.

Betty had a heart for community and service. She was a national representative for the ND Farmers Union, where she advocated for women's health. She served on the Turtle Lake hospital auxiliary and was a proud member of the Turtle Lake Homemakers Club and local craft club. She was always involved, always teaching. Her warmth and generous spirit touched all who knew her.

She was most happy when surrounded by family and friends — hosting tea parties for her "china painting ladies", cooking hearty meals for family, friends and hunters in the fall. One of her favorites was cooking a canner full of sweet corn, delighting in who could eat the most by counting the empty cobs stacked by everyone's plates. She cherished watching her children and grandchildren excel in school and sports. A dreamer at heart, she once longed to join the Peace Corp to share her knowledge of gardening and homemaking with the world.

Those left to honor her memory are her children: Tom (LaVonne) Nathan of Forrest Lake, MN, Sandy (Arnie) Fleck, Sioux City, IA, and Sue (Ron) Wardner, Coleharbor, ND. Grandchildren: Cristoph (Kari) Nathan, Laura (Tony) Welter, Mike Nathan, Tanner (Hollie) Fleck, Garrett (Caitlin) Fleck, Jay Wardner, Sadie (Landen) Lauf and Kyle Wardner. Great-grandchildren: Josie and Evelyn Welter, Charlotte Nathan, Hank and Addie Fleck, Audrey Fleck, Calvin and Layla Lauf and Eulalee Wardner. She was preceded in death by her parents, son David Nathan and grandson Austin Fleck.

We hope her legacy of joy, creativity, and bold self-expression lives on in the hearts of all who knew her.