Betterae Ihssen, 84 went home to her Lord, February 16, 2016 at the Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home in Fort Wayne. She was born April 22, 1931 in West Allis, WI to the late Earl and Elsie Elleson. Betterae was salutatorian of her West Allis Central High School class. She received an AB degree with honors from Ripon College, being elected to their first Phi Beta Kappa Chapter. She and her husband Bill came to Fort Wayne in 1961 when he was hired as an English teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School. Betterae was primarily a homemaker. However, she was one of the first part time teachers at Messiah Lutheran Pre-school. An active member at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, she was a charter volunteer at their food bank, assisted in the library and organized funeral dinners. Her favorite volunteer work was reading stories to the kindergarteners at both Bethlehem and Lutheran South Unity Schools. She was most often seen as the ticket seller at Concordia''s football, basketball, track and baseball games. For ten years she administered an exchange program between Concordia and Holy Hope Lutheran Schools in Japan. In 2004 she and her husband were recognized by the Lutheran Foundation with the Maxine Rippe Award for diligent and faithful service in the church and community. She loved to read, knit and go bicycling.

She will be greatly missed by her husband Bill of 61 years, her brother Jim (Barbara) Elleson, her four children Rik (Susan), David (Leslee), Janine (Omar) Bernabe, Timothy (Brenda) and her grandchildren Eric (Marissa), Victoria (Nathan) Schwanz, Nathan (Jenna), Robert, Maeve, Karl (Kelly) Bernabe, Elsi, Hans, and Lina Bernabe, and two great grandchildren, Lucas Bernabe and Claire Schwanz. Betterae was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Barbara.

A Memorial service will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 3705 S. Anthony Blvd., on February 27, 2016 at 11 AM. There will be calling 1 hour before the service at the church. A funeral lunch will be served following the service and a RSVP would be appreciated by calling the church at 744-3228. Burial will be in Covington Memorial Gardens. Preferred memorials are to Bethlehem Lutheran Church or Concordia Lutheran High School.