Betty Kapplinger, 85, of Kiester died Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester. A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Kiester. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Interment will be in Our Savior’s Lutheran Cemetery in Kiester with the Rev. Katie Pals officiating. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home of Wells is in charge of arrangements. Please see www.brussheitner.com to leave online condolences.

Betty was born Aug. 13, 1929, in Ellsworth, the only child of Joe and Beth (Barnes) Hollander and adoptive father, Joseph Sorenson. Betty was a registered nurse and had worked at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea for several years.

She was united in marriage to Duane Kenneth Kapplinger Feb. 5, 1950, in Kiester. As she was an only child, she made up for it by having children and creating her own family. Betty enjoyed being a farm wife and worked hard on the farm. Betty was a former member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, WELCA, choir, circle and taught Sunday school. She was a member of the Kiester Lions, Farming of Yesteryear and League of Women Voters. Betty loved to read, talk politics and religion, and most especially — spend time with her grandchildren, never missing out on their activities. She loved chocolate shakes, animals (especially her cat, Henrietta), music and playing the flute. Betty was strong-willed, opinionated, but well informed. She will be missed by her whole family.

Betty is survived by her three children, Kathleen (husband, Marlin) Anderson of Kiester, Kim (wife, Nolie) Kapplinger of Spring Grove and Kent (wife, Eunice) Kapplinger of Fargo, North Dakota; six grandchildren, Mitchell (wife, Becky) Anderson of Rochester, Paula (husband, Gary) Hitterdal of Kasson, Annette Anderson (Brian Hoover) of Stewartville, Jill (husband, Ty) Huber of Rochester, Jenny (husband, Tyler) Clementson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Jamie (wife, Kara) Kapplinger of Kasson; 13 great-grandchildren, Jordan and Elijah Anderson, Preston and Morgan Hitterdal, Isaiah and Ida Huber, Dylan and Ana Hoover, Annie, Brynn and Malena Clementson, and Vera and Syneva Kapplinger; one brother-in-law, Barry (wife, Marcy) Kapplinger, of Kiester; nephew, Steven (wife, Nicole) Kapplinger, of Jackson; niece, Carla Goerish, of Mankato; and her cat, Henrietta.

She was preceded in death by her parents; adoptive father, Joseph Sorenson; husband, Duane, in 2009; and infant son, Timothy.