Betty Miller

The youngest of 4 children, Betty was born in Moline, IL on January 8, 1931 to Karl Rupert Kask of Sweden and Agnes Mathilde (Johanson) Kask of Finland. As a child, Betty learned to speak Swedish and she sang and danced in the Jenny Lind Children’s Club wearing traditional Swedish costumes.

Betty lost her mother when she was just 16. Later the same year, Betty sailed abroad with her father, visiting relatives in Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Throughout her life, she loved to share stories of her trip and the special bonds she formed with her Scandinavian relatives.

Betty graduated from Moline HS in 1949 then took a job as a key punch operator in the production department at John Deere Harvester in Moline. Betty became an accomplished bowler with the John Deere ladies league. In her mid-twenties, Betty moved to Indianapolis to enroll in nursing school at Methodist Hospital. She graduated in 1959 and worked as a staff RN at Methodist for 6 years. Betty met her husband Charles “Ralph” when friends set her up on a blind date. The couple married in 1962. Putting family before career, Betty retired from nursing after the birth of the couple’s first daughter Karin in 1965. Daughter Patty was born 2 years later.

In addition to raising her family, Betty developed many interests including gardening and collecting antiques. Having 2 older brothers who served in the South Pacific during WWII, she read many books on the war and began collecting WWII memorabilia. Betty loved animals and she was known to take in the occasional injured or orphaned wild animal. Over the course of Betty’s life, she provided a permanent home for countless stray cats and dogs.

After Ralph’s retirement from GM, Betty and Ralph enjoyed traveling to every state in the lower 48, visiting air shows, air museums and national parks. They traveled to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts multiple times. Betty particularly loved the American West.

Betty was blessed with 2 beautiful grandchildren, Emily and Jack. She and Ralph enjoyed many hours caring for them as they grew up.

Betty lost her beloved husband Ralph to lung cancer in 2007.

As an octogenarian, Betty continued to work in her yard and scour thrift shops for collectibles. She survived colon cancer and she underwent intense radiation therapy for skin cancer. She continued to travel, making 2 trips to the gulf coast of Florida. When diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she did not let that dampen her strong spirit. Betty lived independently at home with her beloved cats and dog, Kipper, for many years, as was her fervent wish. She began writing her memoir, hoping to turn her notes into a story about her parents’ immigration to America or her own trip to Sweden as a teenager.

Betty will be greatly missed by her family. She will be remembered for her feisty attitude and independence, her fierce loyalty to family and her love of all creatures great and small.

Betty is survived by her 2 daughters, Karin Bridwell and Patricia Bennett and son-in-law Will Bennett, her 2 grandchildren, Emily Fajardo (David) and Jack Bennett and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will take place at the Gothic Chapel at Crown Hill Cemetery on Tuesday, Dec 29 from 11am -12pm followed by a funeral service at noon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to IndyHumane or FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic.