Betty Jean (Ritz) Wagner, 80 of Tekamah NE

BETTY JEAN (RITZ) WAGNER, 80 years, of Tekamah, Nebraska, passed away Monday, August 25, 2014, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair, Nebraska.

Betty was born December 18, 1933, in Comstock, Nebraska, to Christian G. A. Ritz and Vella M. (Grim) Ritz Oxford. She graduated from Broken Bow High School.

On June 14, 1953, Betty married Kenneth L. Wagner of Merna, Nebraska. After living a few years in Broken Bow and one year in Grand Island, the couple moved to Omaha in 1961.

Betty stared her career in banking as a teller at First National Bank in Broken Bow. She worked as an Executive Secretary, Credit Card Manager and Purchasing Manager at Omaha National Bank.  In 1977, she graduated from the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin and was later promoted to Bank Officer. Betty retired from banking in 1996, after the bank ultimately became U. S. Bank. During her career, Betty served in various offices of the National Association of Credit Women (NACW), including a term as President.

Throughout her life, Betty was an avid Husker football fan, enjoyed deer and antelope hunting with her husband, Ken and loved reading mysteries, thrillers and romance novels.

She moved to Tekamah to be closer to her daughter, Deb and son-in-law, Rick and assisted them until last year with the operation of their wine tasting room at Big Cottonwood Vineyards and Winery. Many customers’ memories and positive experiences with the winery are because of Betty.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Kenneth; aunts, Nola Bailey Sorenson, Dollie Garris and Goldie Pirnie; uncles, Avalo “Bus” and Jack Grimm, whom she grew up with.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Deb and Rick Barnett of Tekamah and sister-in-law, Willa Wagner of Erickson, Nebraska.

MEMORIAL GATHERING: Friday, August, 29, 2014, 11:00 a.m. at Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah.

PRIVATE FAMILY BURIAL: Forest Lawn Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska, at a later date

MEMORIALS: Tekamah Fire and Rescue, Lied Tekamah Public Library, and Oakland Public Library.

Please feel free to send your condolences to the family.
Each condolence will be printed and given to the family after the service.

pelan@pelanfuneralservices.com

Betty Wagner