Larry Lee Bettger

Larry Bettger 87, of Sterling, CO passed away Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Visitation will be held at Halouska Family Chaney-Reager Funeral Home on Saturday, August 9th from 9:00 a.m., to 10:15 a.m., with a graveside service to follow at 10:30 a.m., at Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, CO. Larry was born December 1, 1937, in Sterling, CO to Oscar and Leona Bettger. Larry attended Lincoln School in Sterling (where the Library, Police and Fire Stations are now), and then Sterling High School (where Sykes used to be). He received various awards while in school and was a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) graduating from Sterling High School in 1955. Larry began farming as a boy (the entire family was involved). They did not have the machinery of today and much of the work was done by hand or with horses. He went on to farm all his life eventually purchasing a farm North of Sterling with his parents in 1966. He later acquired 2 more farms: one adjacent to his first property and a dry land farm on the Peetz Table. By the end of his farming career, he could manage what used to take entire family to the farm due to the advances in machinery. Larry passed that farming legacy on to some of his nephews (Bettger Farms, LLC) who have been farming all of his irrigated land for the last few years. The Davis family has farmed his dry land acreage. Even though he no longer used horses in farming, Larry loved horses his entire life and still had two horses for many years after purchasing his first farm. He enjoyed rodeos faithfully attending the Logan County Fair & Rodeo for many years and watching PRCA rodeos on TV. He also especially loved watching the Kentucky Derby. Recently he shared how he would even "shut down farming" for a few hours in the Spring to ensure he did not miss watching the derby. Up to his last days he liked to stay up to date with the farm markets, listening to market reports on the radio and watching reports on RFD TV. Larry cared for both of his parents as they got older until each passed. He is preceded in death by his parents Oscar and Leona, brothers Melvin, Gilbert and Duane, and his sister Norma. Larry is survived by 9 nephews, one niece, and numerous great-nieces and great nephews.