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Funeral service for Betty Fischer, 84, of Mobridge will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, January 18, 2020 at Kesling Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 5:00 PM with a prayer service 7:00 PM Friday, January 17, 2020 at Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge, SD. Betty passed away Friday, January 10, 2020, in Eagle, CO.

Betty Loretta (Martel) Fischer, was born on February 20, 1935 to Helmuth and Erna (Rieger) Martel south of McLaughlin, SD. As a young girl, the family moved to a farm east of Wakpala. She was the oldest of 7 siblings. The family raised a few chickens, cows, hogs, geese and also farmed. In addition, they also tended a large garden every year. From the garden harvest, they canned all the vegetables so they had food for the winter. The eggs were taken to Wakpala and sold. The pantry was always full of canned fruits, vegetables and meats they raised.

Betty attended school at Wakpala until her high school years when she moved to Aberdeen to be a nanny for her Uncle and Aunt Rieger. While in Aberdeen she attended Aberdeen Central High School and graduated from there in 1954.

She moved back to Wakpala after graduation and started working at the dry cleaners. On August 2, 1956 she married Clayton Fischer. They lived in Mobridge for the first few years of their marriage before buying a farm east of Wakpala. They both grew up and were raised in Wakpala and would always consider it home for them both. It was here that they raised their three children; Larry, Mary, and Wayne.

Being from a large family, Betty learned to cook and bake at an early age. She was a master in the kitchen. She loved canning, baking, and trying new recipes that she would come across. She had thousands of recipes that she had clipped out of magazines and newspapers over the years.

Betty went to school in Brookings at SDSU to become a certified cook. She cooked at the Wakpala School for almost 30 years. When she retired in 1997, the entire school held a surprise party for her. She always missed her "kids" from school and was so happy to get hugs and greetings from them when they would see her out and about. Betty always had a special way with kids, especially babies. She would sit and rock her grandchildren for hours.

Betty and Clayton retired from the farm and moved into Mobridge in 2004. Betty continued her cooking and baking, just on a smaller scale. She now cooked for Clayton and Kristina, who was a lunch guest Monday through Friday. She would have her plate dished up and ready to serve when she walked in the door. Next to cooking, her other favorite passion was flowers and plants. She would love to walk around the yard in the summer and enjoy her beautiful flowers. She had a true green thumb with her house plants as well.

Due to some health problems, Betty went to Colorado to live with her son Wayne and his wife, Terrie, and their family, December of 2018. On January 10 ^th Betty passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family.

She is survived by son Larry Fischer of Trail City, SD, daughter Mary (Tim) Gonzales of Glenham, SD, son Wayne (Terrie) of Eagle, CO, grandchildren, Mandy (Ryan) Crabb, Clayton (Olivia) Fischer, Kristina Gonzales, Barbara Ann Fischer, Loretta Fischer, great-grandchildren Wyatt Crabb, Weston Crabb, Violet Fischer, and Wayne Fischer, three brothers, Robert Martel, Ronald Martel, John Martel and one sister Faye Ann Rookey.

Preceded in death by her husband Clayton, parents, brother, Herb Martel, sister, Darlene Gay.