Elizabeth "Betty" Alvina (Wiebel) Laschanzky

Elizabeth "Betty" Laschanzky, 98, of DeWitt, Iowa, was welcomed into her heavenly home late Wednesday evening, May 13, 2020, at Davenport Lutheran Home.

Elizabeth Alvina Wiebel was born November 22, 1921, in the hospital at Hampton to the late Anton and Bertha (Deininger) Wiebel. She lived in the community of Lowden in her early life with her parents, brother, Gerald and sister, Esther on a farm, until moving to the community of Wheatland.  Betty’s first school she attended was Endorf #5, a K-8 country school, which was part of the Toronto Independent School District near her family’s farm. This was a one room school house that she either walked to school to or during the winter had her dad give her a wagon ride drawn by a horse. Betty completed kindergarten through 6th grade at Endorf.  Her 7th and 8th grade years were completed at a parochial school through her church, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran School in Lowden.  Betty graduated from there on May 31, 1935, with an 8th grade certificate that showed her completion of grammar school. She attended Lowden High School graduating in 1939. Following high school graduation, she enrolled in three summer class sessions at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon earning a teaching license in 1942. In order to renew this license, Betty later took some classes from Mt. St. Clare College, Clinton.  Betty’s first teaching job was at her former school, Endorf #5, teaching grades K-4.  She taught for eight years at the public school in the Independent School District, Toronto where her days were spent teaching all of the lower grades on the first floor of the building, while another teacher taught grades 5-8 on the second floor of the building.  Betty was united in marriage to Laverne Laschanzky, May 29, 1948, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport.  The couple resided in Wheatland for 23 years until moving to DeWitt in 1972. After marrying Laverne, she left teaching to raise a family and to be a homemaker.  Laverne preceded Betty in death February 23, 2009.

She was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church, DeWitt, was part of the Grace Prayer Warriors and belonged to Grace Lutheran Women and a circle that helped supply food for funeral luncheons and fellowship and provide support to Grace Lutheran Church. Betty was also a member of the Plus 60 Club in Davenport. Her hobbies were playing cards such as Sheephead, 500, and Euchre with friends and relatives either in card clubs or through family gatherings. Betty enjoyed reading, going to the library and sharing her enjoyment with her family by supplying them with reading material. She also enjoyed planting annual flowers each spring and tending to them during the growing season. Betty had a gift for baking and made several pies, desserts, and cookies from scratch. During the Christmas season she was known for her many cookies she would bake. She loved her family dearly and couldn’t wait to spend a moment with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. No matter how busy she was, Betty always made time for them.

Surviving are her daughters and sons-in-law, Cathy and Gary Paarmann of DeWitt and Becky and Wayne Hungerford of Aurora Illinois; her grandchildren: Gail (Brian) Nikulski, Troy (Tiffany) Paarmann, Jennifer (Mike) Edelen, Brooke Hungerford, Zachary Hungerford, Ryan (Alba) Hungerford and April Hungerford-Filiczkowski; her great-grandchildren, Mitchel, Adam, and Ariel Nikulski; Mackenzie and Cameron Edelen; Benjamin and Carter Paarmann; Abigail Hungerford; and Charlotte and Myles Filiczkowski.

Also preceding Betty in death was her sister, Esther Busch and brothers, Gerald, Edwin, who died as an infant and Charles, who was stillborn. 

A Service of Christian Burial for the immediate family will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2020, at Grace Lutheran Church, DeWitt, with the Rev. Eric Obermann officiating.  Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery, DeWitt.  Please join the family at 1:45 p.m. Saturday at http://facebook.com/schultzfuneralhomes/live/.  A Celebration of Life Gathering will be announced at a later date.  Memorials are suggested to Grace Lutheran Church, DeWitt.

Pallbearers will be Troy Paarmann, Zachary Hungerford, Brian Nikulski, Mike Edelen, Mitchell Nikulski and Adam Nikulski.  Honorary pallbearers will be Larry Wiebel and Ryan Hungerford.

The family extends a heartfelt thanks to the Fountain’s in Bettendorf and Davenport Lutheran Home for the exceptional care provided to Betty during the last years of her life.

Arrangements are  in the care of Schultz Funeral Home, DeWitt.

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