Elizabeth "Betty" Joan Henshaw

ELIZABETH J. “Betty” HENSHAW

JANUARY 16, 1955 – APRIL 9, 2020

                Elizabeth J. “Betty” Henshaw, age 65, of Alexandria, MN, formerly of Oelwein, Iowa and Park Rapids, MN, peacefully passed into eternity on Thursday, April 9, 2020 in the comfort of her home surrounded by her loved ones. 

                Betty was born on January 16, 1955 in Oelwein, Iowa to Richard and Shirley (Gaul) Henshaw.  Little Betty was born several months premature and only weighed a mere 2 lbs & 9 ounces at birth.  She was a fighter and persevered and thrived under the care of her loving parents and older siblings.  She attended the Sacred Heart Catholic School through the sixth grade and then went on to attend both the Oelwein Community Junior High and Senior High Schools, graduating with the Class of 1973.  As a young woman, Betty gained employment working at the Oelwein Mercy Hospital where she started out in the kitchen and worked her way up to the main office.  As a side business, Betty decorated cakes for all types of celebrations.  In the fall of 1995, she moved to join her family who had moved to Park Rapids, MN.  She first gained employment working at the Menahga Bakery before starting a decade long career with J & B Foods in Park Rapids working as a cashier and bookkeeper.  In 2007, she began working for Coborn’s Grocery Store in the same capacity until her retirement in 2017.  Betty then devoted her time and attention to caring for her aging parents.  In 2018, Betty moved her parents down to Alexandria, MN where she received additional family support in this caregiving role right up until the times of her parent’s deaths in 2018 when she lost her dad and in 2019 when her mother also passed into eternity.  In May of 2019, Betty was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer which she has courageously fought until entering her heavenly home.  Betty was a long time member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oelwein, the Sacred Heart Rosary Society, the Sacred Heart Adult Choir, the Catholic Daughters of America, the St. Peter, the Apostle Catholic Church in Park Rapids, the ladies Guild, the Church St. Mary of Alexandria, MN where she was also a member of The Parish Life.  In addition, Betty was also a member of the Otto Hendrickson American Legion Post Auxiliary #212 in Park Rapids.

                 She will be lovingly remembered by her two sisters: Bonnie (Jerry) Spiegel of Peosta, Iowa and Jane (Kevin) Richmond of Alexandria; her brother, Rick (Alice) Henshaw of Maquoketa, Iowa; her brother-in-law, Andrew Knudson of Park Rapids, MN; eleven dearly loved nieces and nephews and 21 precious great-nieces and nephews’ as well as other relatives and friends.

                Betty was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Mary Knudson in 2004.

                Arrangements are pending with the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home.