Betty Nigbor

Our Beloved Sister Betty flew on Angels Wings to Heaven and into the arms of our Lord and Savior and was greeted by Mom and Dad on Monday, July 15, 2019. Betty was born on August 7, 1960 to Clemens and Cecelia (Disterhaft) Nigbor at the then Berlin Memorial Hospital in Berlin, Wisconsin. God created Betty with an extra 21st chromosome, putting her in an elite category of beautiful souls known to have Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome. Despite the opinions and recommendations of many professionals at that time, Clem and Celia, being the loving and faith filled people they were, brought Betty home to the family farm where she took, and forever held, her place in the family. Betty was treated no differently than any of her 10 siblings and because of this, Betty thrived in her life. And oh what a life our Betty had! To know Betty was to immediately Love her! She would give you one of her big, infectious smiles and then wrap her little, but oh so big arms around you and squeeze, and tell you “I love You”! Betty was Baptized on August 12, 1960 and received the Sacrament of The Most Holy Eucharist on March 8. 1970 at St Michaels Parish in Berlin, and was Confirmed in her Catholic Faith on May 25, 1975 at St Marks Parish in Redgranite. Betty began her education in the Berlin School District attending classes at Washington School with Elsie Resop as her teacher. She was then transferred to Adams School in Ripon Wisconsin and furthered her education under the tutelage of Dorothe Lesnick, where she blossomed and grew, learning not just school work but many life lessons as well. Betty graduated from Adams School on June 2, 1981 and then began attending day services at the Green Lake County Day Care, which is now known as Fox River Industries in Berlin Wisconsin. At age 16, Betty attended the summer programming with Green Lake County and it was then that she began to participate in Special Olympics under the coaching and guidance of Dallas Lewallen. She competed in Track and Field Events, Basketball, Volleyball, and her most loved Bocce Ball and Bowling. Her ambition was to always “Go to State” which she accomplished many times during her lifetime of participating in various Special Olympic Sports competitions. In 1991, Betty was invited to compete in volleyball as part of Team Wisconsin at the International Special Olympic Games held in Minneapolis MN where she and her teammates brought home Gold Medals! When the dementia took away her ability to compete in bocce ball and bowling, she still actively played bocce and bowled with her FRI friends. For many years Betty completed numerous latch hook rugs and there were countless family and friends that she would gift one of her creations. Another of Betty’s passions was in doing Word Search books. She carried one with her wherever she would go and would also always have one or several pens in her hands and pockets. She was finicky about having just the right pen. Along with circling or just scribbling out whichever words she did or did not want, she would add notes on the borders of the puzzles...most notably ‘MK Kiss Me”. MK was her dear friend Mark Bednarek who she referred to as ‘Mark Knark’. Betty and Mark shared a very special bond, having first known each other during school and then being able to continue that friendship at FRI, often stating” My boyfriend, I love Him.”” Betty loved music and singing and dancing, especially dancing the Polka with friend Penny Bahn at every FRI dance party! While living with sister Doris and family, Betty so enjoyed using her Mp3 player and with headphones on would walk to the woods and back, singing and dancing her way along the path. After a lap or two she would come back saying, “I so poofed” and grab a pop and candy bar or popcorn and then head to her room to watch one of her many movies, where her singing and dancing would continue, even while using her iPad to bowl, and she’d joyously yell out..”I got a strike”! She loved playing games with “Sorry” being one of her favorites. Many games of 500 Card Rummy were played and she would wiggle and giggle in her chair when she could place her queen of spades worth 40 points and the jokers and yell out” I winner!” All that played Rummy with her would turn a blind eye to her mischievously sneaking a card to gain more points and she would squeal in delight, “ I win!”Another Love of Betty’s was to go shopping. She was so excited when she would bring home a big check!, Hooting and hollering” I got big check, go shoppin”! Betty’s weekly trips to Berlin Beauty were also a huge highlight of her life. Ginger, Debbie and other salon workers and patrons brought Betty so much joy. Even when the dementia began to infringe on her, Wednesday was such an important day as not only was it “hair day”, she also got to go to McDonalds with Dawn for a “fish sammich”. During Betty’s tenure of employment at Fox River Industries, she made countless friends with not only her peers but with staff as well!! Our Mom and Dad allowed Betty every opportunity for growth first and foremost at home and then at school and finally by enrolling her to become and remain one of the Fox River Industries family members. Betty retired from FRI in January 2019 when she became a resident of Patriot Place in Berlin where it didn’t take long at all for her to feel right at home and to make an impact on all who cared for or encountered her in any way. Betty wasn’t simply full of life, Betty was life! We truly believe that God gave her to our family, and to this world, to teach us all true unconditional love and acceptance! That was Betty! Our Special Blessing. She continued to teach us all until she took her very last breath while leaving this earthly world. For this we are grateful. Betty is survived by sisters and brothers, Doris (Marlon) Holmes, Louise (Tom) Naczek, Linda (Doug) Brueggen, Karen (David) Cerny, Leonard Nigbor, Lawrence (Sharon) Nigbor, Kenny (Janice) Nigbor, Harold Nigbor, Wayne (Pat) Nigbor; nieces and nephews, Jessie (Butch) Simmons, Matthew Holmes ( Ashley), Brooke Noland (Matt), Haley Holmes (Zach), Michele Rhodes (Carl), Jimmy Rhodes (Julie), Jeremy Rhodes (Jenny), Jason Naczek (Adela), Vanessa Myers (Danny), Abby Brueggen (Derek), Lindsey Brueggen, Whitney Brueggen, Mitch Cerny, Mac Cerny, Luke Cerny, Randy Nigbor, Debbie Nigbor, Tim Nigbor, Josh Nigbor (Krista), Scott Nigbor (Jeanette), Lori Bustamante (Jose), Aaron Nigbor (Liz), Kim Thoma (Tim) Peter Thoma (Robin), Frank Nigbor (Kim), Sirena Schermetzler (Corbett); great neices and nephews, Grant, Devin, Reilly, Audi, Lincoln, Asher, Jesssica (Kyle), special great nephew Brandon, Alicia, Gracie, Logan, Courtney (Josh), Dustin, Taylor, Zoe, Jacob M, Owen, Natalie, Jacob N, Wyatt, Hannah, Jenna, Jose R, Sonya (Jeremy), Marcus, Tristan, Grecia, Luna, Katie, Marissa, Bethany, Samantha, Madelyn, John, Desmond, Calvin; great-great nieces and nephews, Kaleb, Kyson, Kamden, Maverick and Colton, Jasmine, Alanna Jose R Jr., Urijah, Avery and Logan; and Caregiver, Cheryl Markowski who Betty adored. Betty was preceded in death by mom and dad; sister and brother-in-law, Lorraine and Jim Rhodes; sisters-in-law, Gail and Georgene Nigbor; Nephew, Shawn Nigbor; godfather, Florian Disterhaft; godmother, Theresa Kozlowski; special friend, Mark Bednarek; special teacher friend, Dorothe Lesnick. A Funeral service with the Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 26th 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at All Saints Catholic Parish of Berlin, with Father David Greenfield officiating, burial will follow the service at St. Michael Catholic Cemetery of Berlin. Relatives and friends may visit with the family and pay their respects to Betty on Thursday, July 25th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Wiecki-Skipchak Funeral Home of downtown Berlin, with a rosary at 6:45 p.m. and may also visit at the Funeral Home on Friday, July 26th from 9 to 10 a.m., before we leave for the services at the church. The Family wishes to extend a special heartfelt thank you to the Patriot Place Staff who loved on and cared for Betty. An Additional heartfelt thank you to the Staff of Heartland Hospice, her special angels case managers, Stacy, Lynn and Norma.

Betty Nigbor

August 7, 1960 - July 15, 2019