Elizabeth V. Ribarchek

Elizabeth (Bette) Verona Stephan Nytes Ribarchek passed away peacefully on Thursday November 30, 2023, in Indianapolis, IN at the age of 97. Bette was born August 12, 1926, in Aesketon, WI to Arthur and Vernie Stephan, and raised in Wrightstown, WI where she helped in the family business, Stephan’s Tavern. The middle of five sisters, she graduated from Wrightstown High School where she was a Drum Major and loved to dance at Nightingale. She married Donald David Nytes of Kaukauna, WI on August 28th of 1948. Donald died in a work accident while she was pregnant with their first child and Bette moved back to Wrightstown to be with family. On November 26th of 1953, Bette married Donald Paul Ribarchek, and they moved to Kaukauna, WI where their son Daniel Jude Ribarchek was born in 1957.

In 1958 Bette and Don moved to Green Bay where they resided until Don’s death in 2011 and were members of St. Joseph Church. Over those many years Bette taught the neighborhood children to make Christmas cookies and always enjoyed packing the family off to go wandering through the woods back in Wrightstown. Playing cards was a regular entertainment with family and friends as well as the ritual of Friday night fish fries at the American Legion in Wrightstown or other favorite spots, later lamenting that in Indiana you just could not get good fried perch! In 1976, Bette began her service as one of the founding members of the volunteer group at the Neville Public Museum and at the Historic Hazelwood House. She treasured the honor she received as Volunteer of the Year from the Museum. Bette and Don loved to visit Door County and, in their retirement, spent several years managing small resorts up in Gills Rock and Ellison Bay. They both enjoyed those years because of the beauty of Door County and the many people they welcomed and befriended.

Bette came to Indianapolis in late 2011 for a Packer game then stayed for the Super Bowl and made the move permanent that following summer. However, the shrine she kept to the Packers reminded all visitors to the house that Green Bay was home. Here in Indianapolis, she taught dozens of people to play “3-13”, her favorite card game, as well as Spinner. Over the ensuing 11 years she became Gramma to dozens of students from all over the world who lived with the family here, and eventually the children of some of those same students.

Bette was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, and her sisters Myrtle Ryan, Margaret Huebner, and Mary Phyllis Ambrosius as well as her son in law Michael O’Brien and Sam’s mother Melissa Standard.

Bette is survived by her daughter Jackie Nytes of Indianapolis, her son Dan Ribarchek of Little Suamico, WI, grandsons Patrick O’Brien of Indianapolis and Sam Ribarchek of Howard, WI as well as her sister Judy Kuffel of Tucson, Arizona, her sister's in-law Cleo Sweichkowski, Alice Nytes and Carol Ribarchek along with many nieces and nephews. A special thank you to her pal Mary O’Brien for the many laughs they shared, and to Colleen, Quinetta and Laurie for all the love they showered her with over the years.

A Memorial Service will be held in Wrightstown at a later date, and she will be interred in St. Paul’s Cemetery. Memorials are suggested at the Neville Public Museum in downtown Green Bay or the Mueller Wright House Museum in Wrightstown, Wisconsin.