Elizabeth A. Reeg

Elizabeth A. “Betty” Reeg, 74, of DeWitt, IA passed away on September 26, 2021, in Davenport, IA.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 1, 2021, at Holy Family Church, New Melleray with Rev. Rodney Allers officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 30th, 2021, at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road.

Betty (McCarthy) Reeg was born October 13, 1946, in Dubuque, Iowa.  She attended 8 years of grade school at Table Mound Township with perfect attendance.  Betty continued to Dubuque Wahlert High School where she excelled in academics and art.  She acted in numerous plays and was a cheerleader for the football team.  She graduated in May 1964 and went on to St. Anthony’s School of Nursing in Rock Island.  In 1967 she graduated as a registered nurse.  During and following her time at St. Anthony’s she worked as an aid at the Kahl Home in Davenport and at St. Anthony’s hospital in Rock Island in the cardiac care and intensive care unit.

Betty met Stan Reeg on October 15, 1965, while attending a dance at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds Ballroom.  A year later they were engaged and got married on September 2nd, 1967, at Holy Family Catholic Church at New Mellary by the Monastery.  They had two boys Todd on May 30, 1968, and Eric on June 16, 1972.

In 1970 Betty moved to DeWitt and worked in the ICU at Jane Lamb Hospital in Clinton. Following she worked in various nursing positions: Clinton county visiting nurse, private physician’s nurse, private duty nurse and finished up her career at John Deere Health Insurance as a quality care assurance specialist.  Betty served on numerous boards over the years including the Central Community High School Athletic Booster Club for 8 years, the DeWitt Community Hospital Foundation and the Genesis Foundation Board for 15 years.  She helped to start the annual charity golf tournament which benefited the DeWitt hospital.  She co-chaired the tournament for over a decade and helped raise thousands of dollars.  Betty was also active in the catholic church as was a 50-year member of the St. Joseph’s altar and rosary society in DeWitt.  She volunteered in the DeWitt Library and many classrooms and field trips for her boys. In the summer of 1985 Betty and the boys joined Springbrook Country Club while Stan was in Minneapolis training to become a financial advisor with Dain Bosworth.  She and Stan developed some good friends through golfing at the club and their children’s school activities in DeWitt.

Betty enjoyed cooking and baking.  She prepared many fine meals and hosted many get togethers.  However, most people will remember her cookies and desserts.  She was a very talented artist.  Betty did watercolor and oil-based canvas paintings.  She also did many other crafts including fabric picture frames, fabric jewelry boxes, fabric sun bonnet girls, ceramic dolls and ornaments and many more.  She sold arts and crafts at shows around DeWitt and the midwest including Chicago.  Betty enjoyed bowling and bowled in a lady’s league at DeWitt Lanes for many years.  After retirement, Betty and Stan enjoyed traveling and have been to over 45 countries such as Thailand, China, France, Ireland, Gallapados Islands, Egypt, Botswana, Kenya, Greece and many more.

Betty will always be remembered by her kindness, her class and her caring ways toward others. 

Betty is survived by her husband, Stanley, two boys: Todd (Jodi) Reeg of Paradise Valley, Arizona and Eric (Tracy) Reeg of Norwalk, Iowa and four grandchildren: Trevor, Chloe, Hanna and Kamryn.  She was always proud of each of them and their accomplishments.  Betty truly was the family matriarch and loved her family immensely.  She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.  She is also survived by her two sisters: Barbara Pauley (friend Mike Howard) of Dubuque, Iowa and Debra (Jerry) Cryderman of Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and her in-laws: Bill and Diane Reeg, of Bellevue, IA, Mike and Peg Reeg, of CO, Judy and Ken Lochner, of Dubuque, IA Don and Val Reeg, of CO, Imelda and Bill Boyce, of Dubuque, James (Doc) Reeg of CO and Kathy Kean of CO and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Charles “Charlie” and Kaye McCarthy and her in laws Bill and Marian Reeg.

Memorials can be sent to Scott Community College Betty Reeg Nursing Scholarship Fund.

We would like to thank Dr. Michael Porubcin in Davenport and Dr. Yousef Zakhria at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City and the numerous other health care workers who did all they could to help Betty with her cancer battle.

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