Betty Lesch

Betty Lesch was born on December 22, 1924 to Albert and Pauline (Boesing) Frericks. Betty grew up in Quincy Illinois on the family truck farm. She attended St. John’s Catholic School in Quincy. Betty met her husband, Ed from Omaha Nebraska, when he accompanied his uncle during a seed salesman trip to Quincy. They were married on November 12, 1949 at St. John Catholic Church in Quincy, Illinois, and to this union five children were born: Martin, Timothy, Christopher, Cynthia and Elizabeth; and they raised their family in Waterloo, Nebraska. Betty continued in her parents’ footsteps and worked the land alongside her husband, first growing vegetables and later flowers. Betty was the proprietor of Viaduct Gardens, which she established in 1959. What started as one small greenhouse attached to a shed quickly grew and every few years another greenhouse was added. Betty had a green thumb and could nurture the tiniest of seeds to full bloom within a 5 month growing season. She developed her own grower’s manual detailing the amount of seeds, light, timetable, fertilizer, and watering for each plant. Betty always said, “I have worked in the dirt all my life and I love what I do.” Betty was active in her church and community. She was a member of the St. Pat’s Women’s Guild, the Waterloo Firemen’s Auxiliary and the Waterloo Women’s Club. After retirement she volunteered at Life Care Center of Elkhorn transporting residents to weekly Mass, assisting with Bingo and for many years she helped put together the church bulletins. She enjoyed baking, needlepoint, sewing, crocheting and made a baby blanket for each one of her grandchildren for their first baby. Betty was very dedicated to her faith and family and she led by example. She was a quiet leader, but when she spoke everyone listened. Betty was a doer, she didn’t talk about what needed to be done she did it. Betty is well known by her family and friends for her ‘old sayings’ which her children fondly call ‘Bettyisms’. She taught her children life lessons through these sayings. Some of the favorites are: waste not want not; cleanliness is next to Godliness; an apple doesn’t roll too far from the tree; tell me who you associate with and I will tell you who you are; never go barefoot in a month with a ‘r’ and if you’re out past midnight you’re not saying the rosary. Betty said the rosary every day, which her children called her ‘speed rosary’. Betty died on Thursday, July 11, 2013 at the Marquee Assisted Living in Elkhorn, Nebraska at the age of 88. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years Ed Lesch, Jr., her parents, Albert and Pauline and her brother Brown Frericks. Betty is survived by sons and daughters-in-law: Martin and Shirley of Omaha, Nebraska; Timothy of Burlington, Wisconsin; and Christopher and Cyndi of Newark, Ohio; daughters and sons-in-law: Cynthia and Jim Busse of Omaha, and Elizabeth and Tom Grimm of Valley, Nebraska; 14 grandchildren; three great granddaughters; and sisters Vivian Schulte and Esther Musolino both of Quincy, Illinois and MaryEllen Woodworth of Minden, Illinois.

Betty Lesch

December 22, 1924 - July 11, 2013