Betty R. Roepker

Betty R. Roepker, 78, of St. Libory, died Friday, March 6, 2009, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Libory’s Catholic Church in St. Libory. The Revs. Larry Coulter and Richard Piontkowski will officiate. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the church, with a 7 p.m. vigil service. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Roepker was born on May 19, 1930, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, the daughter of Eliga and Elva (Galland) McDonald. She is survived by her husband, Alfred Roepker of St. Libory; four daughters and three sons-in-law, Julie and Ron Dvorak of St. Libory, Teresa Jansen of Worthington, MN, Rita and Don Schmidt of St. Libory and Laura and Greg Olson of Grand Island; two sons and one daughter-in-law, Mark and Laura Roepker of St. Libory and Allen Roepker of St. Libory. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren, Brian and Rachael Dvorak, Christopher and Kari Dvorak, Adam Dvorak, Derek Dvorak, Ashley Dvorak, Anthony Jansen, Haley Jansen, January Schmidt, Grant Schmidt, Brock Schmidt, Jennifer Olson, Hannah Olson, Jordan Olson, Andrean Olson, Brooke Roepker, Sydney Roepker, Blake Roepker and Marley Roepker; and seven great-grandchildren, Jayden, Reilly, Kadie, Jacob, Jordan, Abby and Brandon Dvorak. As a young child Betty moved with her family to Grand Island where she grew up and attended Grand Island Public Schools. She then worked at the Glove Factory and the Cornhusker Army Ammunitions Plant, both in Grand Island. She was united in marriage to Alfred A. Roepker on Nov. 4, 1953, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island. The couple lived and farmed southeast of St. Libory their entire married life. Betty’s life was centered around her family. She enjoyed cooking, baking, canning, sending greeting cards to everyone and cutting out and saving newspaper articles on everyone she knew. She was a member of the St. Libory’s Catholic Church and its Council of Catholic Women. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, James and William McDonald. Memorials are suggested to the family’s choice.