July 5, 1943 – June 14, 2025
Mass of Christian Burial for Betty Ann Schweitzer, 81, of Timber Lake will be at 10:30 a.m. MT on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Timber Lake. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Glencross under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 5 p.m. with a prayer service at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the church. Betty passed away Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck, ND.
Betty McMacken was born, along with her twin sister Bonnie, on July 5, 1943 in Mobridge to Francis and Bertha McMacken. They joined three older sisters, Merriel, Ellen and Faye, as well as three brothers, Bob, Marvin and Joe. They attended Timber Lake school until graduation in 1961. Betty married Dean Schweitzer just days after turning 18. She was embraced by her new family as well as her new community of Glencross. Betty and Dean divorced in 1981.
After years of struggling with health issues, Betty was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. In the spring of 1984, her sister Bonnie donated one of hers. This was more than an act of kindness, it was life altering for her family. Had Bonnie not given this gift, Betty’s family wouldn’t have had the last 41 years with her and likely, her grandchildren would have never known her.
In 1988, Betty moved to the Rapid City area. She worked there for several years and bought a home. She was so proud to have done it on her own. However, during that time, “home” was always what she longed for. After 9 years, she returned to Timber Lake and opened a day care where she filled a need for the community. For years she took care of children who, even after they had grown, always had a warm greeting or a hug when she saw them. Many of these families continued to send birthday and holiday cards long after she retired. Betty loved her community fiercely.
Baking was a passion for Betty. If you were lucky enough to have one of her caramel rolls on a Sunday after church, you never forgot it and longed for more. Mention rhubarb in the spring and her eyes lit up; she loved anything made with rhubarb. She just loved to bake.
And then, there was Farkle. That game was played thousands of times at the counter in her kitchen. She never turned down a game. Friends stopped by, not to chat but to play Farkle. And NEVER just one game, you had to play two. If you each won a game, you had to play a tie breaker. This is where you learned how competitive she was and what a sense of humor she had.
Betty was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend. She spent her life devoted to her family, friends, neighbors and the many children that she nurtured and loved in her day care. She knew everyone in the community and loved to cheer on the local sports teams even after her children and grandchildren were no longer playing on the courts and fields.
Betty is survived by her three children: Faron (Marilyn) Schweitzer of Glencross, Gayla (John) Hollenbeck of Perry Hall, MD, and Smoke (Rachael) Schweitzer of Shingle Springs, CA; sisters Bonnie Yuker of Glencross and Ellen Wilhelm of Mesa, AZ; brother Marvin (Connie) McMacken of Piedmont; sister-inlaw Connie McMacken of Sioux Falls; 9 grandchildren, and 14 greatgrandchildren. She is also survived by the many, many friends that made her life so full.
Betty is preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Bertha McMacken, her brothers Bob and Joe and sisters Merriel and Faye.