Betty Louise Baden

Betty Baden, beloved child of God, was welcomed into her Savior’s waiting arms as she departed from this vale of tears on Saturday afternoon, October 28th, surrounded by her husband and three loving children.

Betty was born on June 15, 1941, to Eric and Eunice (Bergt) Polster in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the oldest of nine children and loved teaching and mentoring young children her entire life. She became God’s child through baptism at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Salt Lake on July 13, 1941. She attended St. John’s Lutheran School and was the 8th grade valedictorian. She graduated from South High School in SLC in 1959 and followed her life-long dream to become a Lutheran school teacher by attending Concordia Teachers College in Seward, Nebraska. While there she also met her future husband, Tom Baden. Following her college graduation in January of 1963, she taught at Trinity Lutheran School in Tyler, Texas, for a semester. She and Tom were married on June 16, 1963, in Salt Lake City and celebrated their 60th anniversary last summer by being honored with a piano recital given by their grandson Matthew Scott in Eldon Black Recital Hall at Angelo State University. Music and singing were among Betty’s loves. She sang for many years in the San Angelo Symphony Chorale as well as in church choirs, high school, and college choirs throughout her years.

She taught Sunday School for over 50 years and taught and substitute-taught in Lutheran schools in Odessa, Texas; Hobart, Indiana; Klein (Spring), Texas; and San Angelo, Texas. She also mentored three-year-olds at Trinity Lutheran Early Childhood Center in San Angelo and served as director of the Trinity ECC for a number of years. Following her retirement, she cared for her aging mother for five years and father-in-law for two years. Gentle, caring concern for family members and others was paramount in her 82-year-long life. She was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2022 and succumbed to that illness fifteen months later. We thank Dr. David Cummings for his care during that battle.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, two twin infant brothers, and one sister (Joanne Geldner). She is survived by her husband Tom, son Erik (and daughter-in-law Michelle) of Austin, daughter Karla (and son-in-law Kyle) Scott of Lewisville, and son Kyle of San Angelo, brothers David, Dennis, and Donald Polster (Utah), and sisters Beverly Meyer (California) and Lisa Polster (Utah), and numerous cousins and friends across the country.

Viewing and visitation will be held on Friday, November 3, from 6:00 until 8:00 at Johnson’s Funeral Home. There will also be a time for viewing before the service on Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 3536 Lutheran Way, in San Angelo.

Funeral Service will be conducted by Rev. Allan Eckert at Trinity Lutheran Church, 10:00 Saturday, including special music provided by her grandson, Matthew Scott (before and after the funeral service). Burial will be in Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens under the auspices of Johnson’s Funeral Home in San Angelo. Pallbearers and honorary pallbearers will be grandsons and men representing the four congregations of which her husband is the pastor.

Memorials may be given to any of the churches her husband Tom serves as pastor (Bethel Lutheran, Ballinger; Mt. Calvary Lutheran, Eola; Hope Lutheran, Sonora; Faith Lutheran, Ozona), to Trinity Lutheran School, San Angelo; or to Sagecrest Care Center in San Angelo (in thankfulness for the loving care they demonstrated to Betty and her family in her final days on earth).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com for the Baden family.