In Memoriam : Bettylou Hellwig
Bettylou Marie Hellwig - age: 94
(February 28, 1932 to March 12, 2026 ) Resident of Exeter, California Visitation Information: A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 11:00 am at the Whitney Wild Oak Ranch, 19242 Avenue 300, Exeter. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Betty’s honor to the Exeter Woman’s Club, PO Box 352, Exeter, 93221. Obituary: Betty Lou Marie Hellwig passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026, leaving behind a world made much brighter by her presence. She was born February 28, 1932 in Kenmare, North Dakota, to Howard & Edith Feldmann, the eldest of 3 daughters. In the 1940’s, her family moved to Southern California where she met Don, and began a new chapter in her life. They married August 11, 1950. Shortly afterward, Don was drafted into the Army and stationed in England, Betty joined him shortly after. During their time in England they traveled throughout Europe, sparking a lifelong love of travel. In the fall of 1968, the family moved to Exeter. Betty believed that truly loving a community meant being actively involved. Whether she was greeting newcomers through her work with the Chamber of Commerce, participating in the Garden Club and supporting the PTA. When they returned to Exeter in 2000, she joined the Exeter Women’s Club and continued volunteering until this last year. She enjoyed playing Canasta with friends and occasionally Bingo, always driven by a genuine desire to connect with others. Her dedication to her community was recognized when she was honored as Exeter’s Woman of the Year, an honor she held with immense pride. Above all, Betty treasured her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, taking immeasurable pride in each one of them. She and Don spent many years traveling around North America in their beloved Motorhome, as well as exploring other countries and enjoying river and ocean cruises. No matter how busy their travels, they always made time to be with their grandchildren, no matter where they lived. In early retirement years, they built their dream home along the coast in Cayucos where they loved entertaining family and friends. Betty especially cherished time spent on the beach with her grandchildren - watching them boogie board, play in the waves and collect seashells. She cherished every opportunity to have them visit. Her natural ability to find where she was needed had followed her to the coast. While living in Cayucos, she was recognized as Lioness of the Year, a testament to her lifelong devotion to helping others. Betty is survived by her children Mark (Rosemary) of Exeter, Daryl (Sandy) of Templeton, Cheryl (Gary LaMunyon) of Meridian, Idaho, and Daughter in law Tammy Hellwig, of Exeter. She was a proud grandmother of 10 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren with one on the way. Proceeded in death was her husband Donald J. Hellwig whom passed away in 2020, just shy of their 70th wedding anniversary, their son Scott Helllwig, granddaughter, Joanna Joy Hellwig and her sisters Joyce Jacoby and Shirlee Perry. Our family would like to extend our thanks to the staff of Amdal in Home Care and Shannon Ranch at Quail Park for the compassionate and devoted care they gave our mother. 
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