Betty Hennen

Betty (Welle) Hennen passed away at Quiet Oaks Hospice in St. Augusta while surrounded by family on Tuesday November 28^th, 2023.

A Mass of Christian burial will be 11:30 a.m. Monday, December 4, 2023 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Daniel Walz officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday and from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport. The Christian Women and Goldenaires Senior Citizens will pray a rosary at 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening at the church.

Betty was born on June 16^th, 1939 in the back room of the Pioneer Inn in Freeport to Erwin and Alma Welle. After a year, the family moved to Meier Grove where Betty spent her childhood.  Thanks to then-Melrose school superintendent Norb Weiss, she won first place in a writing contest, which landed her a job at Brown and Bigelow in St. Paul, MN after her 1957 high school graduation.

Betty met Tom Hennen on a blind date when he was on a furlough from the Navy.  After much letter writing, they married August 16, 1958, and she moved to Freeport because Tom worked with his father in the lumberyard.  Betty’s mother-in-law, Lid, ensured Betty could pursue a career in hairdressing after attending the St. Cloud Beauty College.  In 1959, Betty opened Freeport Beauty Shop, and steadily gained a large customer base.  What was said in her shop, stayed in her shop.  In a 2017 newspaper article, she said her shop was “like a confessional. [Her clients] would tell [her] things they wouldn’t tell their best friends.” She loved her customers.  She officially “retired” in May of 2023.

Betty and Tom were the proud parents of five children, all of which continued living within 30 miles of their childhood home, a testament to their parents.  The family was blessed with many memories of camping, tubing down the Apple River, water skiing, Boy Scouting, annual vacations to Boyd Lodge, and weekends at the family cabin on Little Birch Lake. 

Betty had a strong faith.  She was an active member of her community, including Sacred Heart Church, serving as a Eucharistic Minister as well as contributing to the choir.  She was a member of the Christian Mothers, Catholic Order of Foresters, the American Legion Auxiliary Post 101, and a member of the Swany White women’s bowling team.  Her spirits remained high.  As she told the staff at Quiet Oaks upon her arrival, she was glad to be there because she “was on the trip of a lifetime.”  She was ready to finally meet her Savior and spend Christmas with him and her husband Tom.

Betty is survived by her children, Tim (Stephanie) of Freeport MN, Mike (Jennifer) of St. Anna MN, John of Freeport MN, Mary (Graeme) Mahler of St. Cloud MN, Jane (Dick) Austing of St. Rosa MN.  Other survivors include her sister Shirley Ebensteiner of Sauk Centre MN and eight grandchildren Steven, Bryan, Adrianna, Sydney, Grayson, Kayla, Whitney, Tommy and four great grandchildren.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and mother-/father-in-law. 

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Monica and staff at Moments Hospice for the care mom received while at home. We also want to extend a special thank you to the staff at Quiet Oaks Hospice for their passion and comfort care to mom during her last four days.