Betty Jane Tvedt, 73 of Williston, ND, passed away on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at her home with her family by her side in Williston, ND.

Betty Jane Tvedt was born on July 3, 1951 to Harold and Arlene Tvedt in Williston, ND. She and her 5 siblings were raised on the family farm in Alamo, ND and later moved to Williston, ND.

Betty Jane was a child with “Special Needs”. Due to the care that she would need because of her disabilities, Harold and Arlene made a tough decision to place Betty Jane in the Grafton State School when she was 7 years old. She was able to spend summers and holidays with her family but was always happy to return to Grafton to be with her “other” family. Shortly after returning, we would know when it was time for us to leave because she would turn around, brushing us away and saying, “Home Now”.

Vocabulary was very limited for Betty Jane, but she taught many of us how to communicate and understand her through her actions and sign language.

When Grafton State School closed, she returned to Williston to live. Because of the skills she learned at Grafton, she was able to live and maintain her own home with the help of her loving caregivers for 20 years. You would find her sitting on her front porch with the cat she borrowed from next door, waving to those that drove by. She kept a very neat, orderly, tidy home and everything had it’s place. Sometimes you could find her still laying in bed in the early afternoon because she had been up most of the night, filling the sink with soapy water to wash one coffee cup, vacuuming, dusting and washing laundry. You would walk up to her front door and could hear her radio or record player blaring at the highest volume possible. If you went to her house to visit her, you had to carry your purse around with you because it would be out of place in her home. She was very prompt at emptying garbage. When she went to spend the day with mom and dad, the first thing she did was to walk around and collect the garbage. There were times she gave dad a dirty look because he would make her put the garbage back because there were only a couple things in it. At one of her hospital stays, the staff found her emptying garbage’s at the nursing station. This was not a surprise as she did not like any garbage………. in the garbage.

Besides her love for music, she enjoyed riding her 3-wheel bike, going for rides, ice cream, her weekly bowling league, traveling with her caregivers. One trip to Washington State she dipped her feet in the Pacific Ocean. Flipping through magazines was one of her jobs. She liked to rip out the magazine renewals or advertisements, put them in her purse, and hand them to everyone that walked by her in the grocery store, or beauty shop or wherever.

When Betty Jane was 42 she learned to drive……..kind of. On a summer day with her in the driver’s seat, barely able to look over the steering wheel, her brother Kory sat next to her operating the gas and brakes, she cruised around the country roads at a slow speed for about 20 minutes. From that day forward……. she asked mom and dad for a car.

The holidays were very special to Betty Jane. The family gathering, music and meals, and of course…..the garbage. As soon as the stores were stocked with the decorations, her mannerisms let you know which holiday was coming and it was time to decorate and change out the holiday inflatables in her bedroom. She was dressed to fit the holiday and every outfit was complete with singing, moving hats and blinking necklaces.

Betty Jane lived a carefree life. Full of fun and adventures. Never a stranger to anyone and left an impression on many. Being “Special Needs”, Betty Jane has taught our family how to accept, respect, admire and love. She certainly was the angel our family has been blessed with for 73 years.

Betty Jane, your job here is now done……You are free to go.

Betty Jane is survived by her siblings, Connie (Don) Lee, DeLona (Craig) Broe, Zoanni (John) Liffrig, Kory Tvedt; brothers-in-law, Leon Nielsen and Larry (Brenda) Grondahl, many nephews, nieces and cousins.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Arlene Tvedt; sister, Char Grondahl; brother-in-law, Lenny Bratlien; uncle, Curtis Johnson; aunts, Phyllis (Duane) Gronfur, Nellie (Herman) Sundquist, Hilda (Palmer) Hanson, Ruth (Curtis) Ergeson, Edith (Wallace) Hill; nephew, Jason Nielsen; nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Thank You