Betty Jean Reemtsma

Betty Jean (Duitsman) Reemtsma, 76, passed away on July 6, 2022. She was born on November 13, 1945 to Elmer and Barbara (Stone) Duitsman. She attended grade and high school in Forreston, Illinois, graduating from Forreston High School in 1963. After high school she attended cosmetology school and worked at WTVO in Rockford, Illinois. She married Arlyn Dean Reemtsma on February 24, 1979 at Willow Creek United Presbyterian Church in Argyle, Illinois. They moved to Texas shortly thereafter and settled in Round Rock where Betty worked as a buyer for Texas Nuclear until she retired in 2005. Betty appreciated life's simple pleasures. She enjoyed watching birds, rabbits, and other wildlife in her backyard which was adjacent to a park, was an avid lifetime reader, made time for long lunches with her girlfriends, and took trips with her husband Arlyn to her home state of Illinois for visits with family and friends. During her school years she participated in church and school choirs, played the trumpet and baritone in school band, and supported school sports as a member of the Forreston Cardinals cheerleading squad. While growing up, she enjoyed working in the farm fields with her father, her uncles Robert and Russell Duitsman, and her grandfather Willie Duitsman. Hot days of field work were offset with swimming in her Uncle Bob and Aunt Erma's swimming pool with her sisters Judie, Doris, and Susie, and her cousins Carol and Diane. Betty is the great great granddaughter of James Bell Stone (m. Freelove Frisland Dugger), who was the first Baptist Missionary in Johnson County, Tennessee, traveling to remote Appalachian Mountain locations on horseback. She is also the great great granddaughter of Wolbrand Duitsman (m. Tjabbendliena Janssen), who served in the Civil War (Company C, 40th Illinois Infantry) Betty is survived by her husband Arlyn Reemtsma; two sisters: Doris (Duitsman) Smith and Susan (Duitsman) Lorenz; thirteen nieces and nephews: Patty (Gronewold) and James Rabideau, Amie (Lorenz) Correa, Cathy (Gronewold) Harris, Mathias and Paula (Wessel) Lorenz, Jessica (Lorenz) Walker, Heather (Reemtsma) and Tony Collalti, Brandi (Reemtsma) and Marty Sellers, and Nycole (Reemtsma) and Joshua (Dinderman) Mulder; and twenty four great nieces and nephews: Jakob Walker, Enrique and Lupe Correa, Wyatt Lorenz, Justin and Jessica Wessel, Lauren (Wessel) and Tyler Tucker, Caroline, Cathleen and Katelynn Rabideau, Lily and Anna Harris, Mackenzie and Emily Mansfield, Kyle, Keely, Kane, Ty, and Gage Collalti, Caleb and Brooklyn Sellers, Aaron Dallman, and Dylan Mulder. She was preceded in death by her sister Judith (Duitsman) Lamia, her brother in law Keith Reemtsma, her parents Elmer and Barbara Duitsman, and her father and mother in law Walter and Lenora Reemtsma. Betty was dearly loved by her family. She possessed a love of life and infectious laugh that will be missed by all. Visitation will be from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 14 at Burke Tubbs Funeral Home, Forreston. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 15 at the Forreston Grove Church, Forreston. Graveside services will be at the Silver Creek Reformed Cemetery, German Valley. All memorials in Betty's memory were donated to St. Jude Children Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee. Cemetery Details Silver Creek Reformed Cemetery 326 South Bunker Hill Road German Valley, IL 61039 Loading map Previous Events Visitation JUL 14. 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM (CT) Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home- Forreston 203 S. 3rd Ave Forreston, IL 61030 https://burketubbs.com Loading map Funeral Service JUL 15. 10:30 AM (CT) Forreston Grove Church 7246 North Freeport Road Forreston , IL 61030 Loading map