Betty Dahlgaard

September 03, 2019

Service Details

Betty was born on June 19, 1927 in Independence, Iowa- daughter of Fred and Ethel (Bird) Hardy.
She graduated from Winthrop High School in May 1944.
She married Gustav G. Tessmer in Winthrop, Iowa on September 24, 1948. Later she married Harry E. Dahlgaard on October 31, 1959. They moved to Dubuque in July of 1975. He passed away on September 24, 1981.
Betty was employed as a bookkeeper for 15 years for the former Gildners Mens clothing store in Kennedy Mall –retiring January 30, 1997.
She was a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Betty enjoyed working crossword puzzles, bicycle riding, traveling to visit family and spending winters in the south and taking many pictures. She enjoyed 22 trips with her friend, Juanita of West Liberty, Iowa on Tri State Tours. She has posters and photo albums from each trip. She was a volunteer with the Finley Auxiliary and the RSVP at Finley- receiving the governor’s volunteer award in 1991.
Betty helped to organize the Betty Club in 1990.
Surviving are three daughters, Teresa Kay (Mike) Strum and Marsha (Chris) Theis both of Des Moines and Lisa Calcamuggio- Bowling Green, Ohio; daughter-in-law, Chris Tessmer- Woodland Park, Colorado; two stepsons, Donald (Catherine) Dahlgaard- Norton, Massachusetts and Charles (Diane) Dahlgaard- Waterloo, Iowa; one stepdaughter, Patricia Thompson- Waterloo, Iowa; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; son, George Tessmer- Woodland Park, Colorado; sisters, Merle (William) Stark- Tuscan, Arizona and Ruth (Steve) Novatny- Washington, D.C.; brother, Robert (Neva) Hardy- Independence, Iowa; brother-in-law, Roger Dahlgaard; sister-in-law, Mata Dahlgaard; special friend, Eugene Lehman; son-in-law, Steven Ridnour, Sr.; and a step grandson, Jeffrey Thompson.
The family will greet friends from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, Saturday, September 21, 2019 at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, 5400 SW 9th Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50315. Funeral services will follow at 12:00 pm also at the funeral home. Betty will be laid to rest at Taylorsville Cemetery in Arlington, Iowa on Sunday, September 22, 2019 at 11:30 am.
A Betty Dahlgaard memorial fund has been established and may be sent to Kay Strum.
Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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