Betty Woelfel

Betty L. Woelfel, age 95, of Redwood Falls, MN, passed away on Monday, August 25, 2025, at St. Cloud Hospital. Mass of Christian burial will be at 11:00 AM on Friday, September 12, 2025 at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Redwood Falls, MN, with lunch to follow, then burial at the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Seaforth, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to Mass from 10 AM until 11 AM, all on Friday at the church. Live stream broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/@LOWAFC/streams

The Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Service of Morgan and Redwood Falls are in charge of the arrangements. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com.

Born on June 18, 1930, Betty Lou dedicated her life to raising her family, tending to the family farm, working in social services, volunteering, and creating beautiful things by hand. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, survived by her three children, David, Carolyn, and Jeanette, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was the youngest of four siblings, born to Morton and Myrtle Garnhart in Redwood Falls, MN.

In 1948, she married Richard “Dick” Woelfel at St. Mary’s Church shortly after graduating fourth in her high school class. Together, Dick and Betty Lou farmed “The Woelfel Home Place”, following in the footsteps of Dick’s parents. For 20 years, they grew small grains, soybeans, corn and raised dairy cattle. At times they had a variety of other farm animals. When Dick’s mother passed away, they moved to a new location where they continued to farm for six years. After farming, Betty Lou was seasoned enough in business operations to help Dick start Woelfel Oil in Seaforth, which they successfully ran for almost 20 years.

Betty Lou stayed busy her entire life. On top of helping Dick run the farm and oil businesses, she also spent six years working in what she lovingly referred to as “the Welfare Office” because she understood the importance of paying it forward. Working and raising a family was not enough. She was also the treasurer for Seaforth for thirteen years and took on the task of transitioning their books from paper to Excel as a lifelong learner. Throughout her life, she was always willing to lend a helping hand and volunteered throughout her life. These included thirteen years as a poll worker for the voting booths, making beautiful wedding cakes for the Catholic church in Seaforth, and much more. When she retired, she still could not sit still, so she worked as a cashier and in the fabric section of Walmart from ages 70-80. Betty Lou Woelfel lived her life with vigor, modeled by her hard work, her creativity and her giving nature.

After she lost her husband of 51 years, she began a beautiful companionship for 20 years with Reuben Froehlich. Together, they took dance lessons, traveled all around, and spent time enjoying gardening on Reuben’s farm.

She was a proud member of the quilt making club “CCC” with the local Catholic church and was known for her talent in embroidery and crocheting. She even won a blue ribbon in the county fair for her crochet work. Betty Lou was a voracious reader who made the most beautiful pies when she was not playing cards, fishing, traveling, or dancing to Polka and country music. She demonstrated how to grow young with her positive attitude, her insatiable appetite for learning, and her refusal to sit down.

To honor her legacy, we can live by this quote she chose for her passing: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.”-Eleanor Roosevelt