Betty Wessman, age 84 of Lake View, IA, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 16, 2024, at Black Hawk Life Care Center in Lake View. Betty Jane Freese was born on January 28, 1940, to parents Bennie and Angie (Tebben) Freese on a farm in Crawford County, IA. She was baptized on September 7, 1941, at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church in Breda, IA.
Betty graduated from Lake View High School with the class of 1959. During her high school years, she worked at Reida’s Dairy and Koessel’s Grocery Store.
Betty was a member of the First Congregtional United Church of Christ which is where she was united in marriage to James Wessman on June 5, 1960. This union was blessed with three children, Tammy, Kim, and Jim. Jim was in the United States Air Force which took the whole family all over the United States as well as to The Phillipines over the twenty years he served. They settled back in Lake View in 1979. Betty went to work at Nelson’s Health Food Store in Lake View and then worked for Lake View Auburn Schools as a teacher’s associate for twenty years before retiring in 2001.
Betty adored her family and always looked forward to spending time with them. Sadly, at the age of fifty-nine, her husband Jim passed away suddenly. After some time had passed, Betty found companionship with Gary Blessington. Together they liked to go dancing on karaoke nights at the bar, taking trips to the casino where Betty loved playing slot machines, and of course fishing on Black Hawk Lake. Betty loved watching birds and squirrels in her yard and catching them on camera. She also enjoyed taking family photos. She looked forward to Wednesday nights, as that was family card night. Betty believed in angels and over the years gave out many angel worry rocks and angel lights to family and friends. She was such a sweet lady who will be missed dearly by all who knew and loved her.
Left to cherish her memory include her children, Tammy Smith of Lake View, IA, Kim (Keith) Pudenz of Auburn, IA, and Jim (Tammy) Wessman of Lake View, IA; grandchildren: Summer (Allan) Meisheid of Lake View, IA, Jared (Heather) Smith of Bedford, IA, Kayla (Nathan) Nieland of Breda, IA, Kennedi Pudenz of Auburn, IA, Kortney (Jason) Webb of MO, Carter Shedd of Manson, IA, and Katie Breidert of Pleasant Hill, IA; great-grandchildren: Carter Frank, Kinnick and Hayden Fahrenkrog, Miah, Tessa, and Faya Smith, Braxten, Jaxon, and Marasyn Nieland, Aryiana and Alexia Webb; sister Marjean (Mike) Riedell of Sac City, IA; sisters-in-law LaVon Freese of Lake View, IA, and Marge Ebel of Mason City, IA; brother-in-law Steven (Donna) Wojnicki of VA; extended family Brian (Liz) Blessington of Breda, IA, and Jacque Blessington of Kansas City, MO; many nieces, nephews, other extended family members and friends.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Wessman; life partner Gary Blessington; parents Bennie and Angie Freese; parents-in-law Wayne and Ethelene Wessman; sisters Eleanor (Everett) Buse and Dot (Sid) Nelson; brother Raymond Freese; nephew Phil Riedell; great-nephews Jeffrey and Rob Renze; and best friend Barb Reiling.