Bettie L. (Sands) Ryan

Bettie L. (Randolph, Sands) Ryan, 62, of Sergeant Bluff passed away on Sunday, June 20, 2010, at a Sioux City hospital surrounded by her family following a courageous battle against lung cancer.

Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel, 6200 Morningside Avenue, with Chaplain Mike Inman of Hospice of Siouxland officiating. Interment will be at the Elk Point, S.D., cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with family present at 6 p.m. and a prayer service, with invitation to share memories, at 7 p.m., at the funeral home.

Bettie was born on July 25, 1947, in Vermillion, S.D., to Harold and Alma Randolph. She graduated from Vermillion High School with the class of 1966.

Bettie married Steven W. Sands in 1968. In 1977, Bettie met the love of her life, Jerry J. Ryan, and the two were married in September of that year. She worked at IBP, USD as a cook, MCI as a cook, and various cashier and telemarketing jobs throughout the years.

She loved spending time with her family, her friends, and her pets. Bettie enjoyed motorcycle riding and reading. Bettie was a proud member of the Rebekahs Lodge in Vermillion. Bettie was an angel who touched everyone she met. To know her was to love her and we will greatly miss her until we see her again one day.

Those left to cherish her memories include her daughters, Tammy (Brent) Hunter and Angela Larson; stepson, Jamie Ryan (Debbie), all of Sioux City; stepdaughter, Amanda Ryan (friend, Mikki) of Jefferson, S.D.; sisters, Janice Dunham of Vermillion and Pat (Lowell) Coffee of Elk Point; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews that she cherished deeply.

Bettie was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Steven W. Sands and Jerry J. Ryan; sister, Marilyn Kragness; brother-in-law, Noel Kragness; niece, Candi K. Dunham; nephew, David Kragness; and father-in-law, Gerald Ryan.