Marjorie Irene Streitz

On July 13, 2024, Marjorie Irene Bettmann Streitz, was called home to her Lord and Savior after her hard fought battle with Alzheimers.

She was born on January 9, 1952. The daughter of farm parents in rural Aberdeen, SD, she grew up in a loving, and nurturing home with eight siblings. Here, she was instilled with a strong work ethic, a hearty will, strength and determination of which you could only dream. She was baptized, confirmed and married (August 13, 1977) in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. She attended St. John’s Lutheran Church, and Day school - a one-room school house occupied by neighboring farm children, many of whom were relatives, brothers and sisters. She attended Aberdeen (SD) Central High School, graduating in 1970.

To know Marge, was to love her and to respect her. She loved every one of the hundreds and hundreds of Pre-K though 8th grade students she was blessed with over her 31 years of teaching. Teaching was more than a profession, it was her passion, developed and nurtured through college at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, her two years as a Nanny in Connecticut, and finishing at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD, graduating in May 1980, , with a B.S. Degree in Elementary Education. Her heart was never too full. She loved kids - all kids, family, acquaintances, and friends she knew, and those to whom she had yet to meet. She always recognized the value of family, friends, experiences, and adventures.

She craved adventure. In her senior year of high school, she moved “to town”, found a job at Kessler’s Grocery and an apartment, so that she could have the full experience of her last year in high school. She joined the Aberdeen Central High School Drill Team, performing at school games and at some games at Northern State College. After a year at Concordia St Paul, MN, she moved to Darien, Connecticut, to work as a Nanny, for a family she hadn’t yet met. She had visited almost all of the United States in her lifetime, snow skied at Breckenridge, CO. She loved camping and hiking, fishing and kayaking, boating, water skiing, and Nebraska football. In the year she turned 50, she hopped into a hot air balloon, and flew over the El Paso desert. Only months later of same year, she jumped out of an airplane over the Florida Keys, and enjoyed an Alaskan Cruise on her 25th Anniversary. In October 2017, she went on the longest zip line (over 10,000 feet long) at Stowe Mountain in Vermont.

She was a talented baker, baking cookies, bars, cakes and pies for family, friends, andher husband’s colleagues in Mexico (thus making her renowned “internationally”)!

She was a voracious reader. And she was always wanting to try something new. It might be gardening, or fishing, or cooking. She had a full library of cookbooks. In her classroom, she made things fun by cooking Stone Soup, and applesauce, and built a Learning Tree in her classroom with her students. She taught Sunday School, and became Youth Group Counselor at her church in El Paso. She taught herself to quilt and became very talented, giving most of her quilts to family and grandchildren.

Marge is survived by her husband, Steve, her children, Heather & Tanner Brown, Megan & Miguel Saez, and Dustin & Vanessa Streitz. Also by her brothers Gary, Kevin and David Bettmann, and sister, Mary (Keith) Arnholt. She was loved by her nine grandchildren - Taylor, Emma, Isabella, Brayden, Kali, Mikayla, Hadley, Jaxson and Hunter.

Preceding her in death, were her parents, Theodore & Irene Grote Bettmann, her sisters, Marla Jean Bettmann, Myra (Rod) Weier, Marilyn (Larry) Baack and brother Roger Bettmann.

She simply loved life and lived it to the fullest, best described by one of her favorite quotes:

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, “Wow what a ride!””

Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman

Marjorie (aka Margie, Marge, Bo-Bo, Madge, Mom, Grandma, Aunt, Sis and child of God) - you will be forever loved and so sorely missed.