Betty Lou (Swanson) Lounsbery, 96, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully Friday, July 3, 2026.
Born on May 28, 1930, in Sioux Falls, S.D., Betty Lou was the daughter of William and Lillian (Hass) Fish. She grew up in East Sioux Falls, attended East Sioux School, and graduated from Brandon High School in 1948. After completing her training at Dickenson Bookkeeping School, she worked in several secretarial and bookkeeping roles at Minnehaha Co-Op Oil Company, Dan Dugan, Holcomb White Trucks, C & R Transfer, Junso Enterprises, Charles Gage and the Moose Lodge. She later enjoyed working as a “demo lady” at Hy-Vee until 2020.
Betty met Norman Swanson at the Arkota Ballroom in Sioux Falls, and they were united in marriage on April 20, 1954, in Lester, Iowa. They made their home on a farm near Larchwood, Iowa, where they raised their seven children: Candi, Pam, Becky, Lexey, Jerry, Peg and Vicki. After Norm’s passing in 1992, Betty moved to Sioux Falls later that year.
On Nov. 14, 1999, Betty married Ed Lounsbery in Las Vegas. They made their home in Sioux Falls and enjoyed traveling on bus tours and going out to dinner with friends. Ed passed away Jan. 31, 2019.
Betty lived a full and joyful life. She loved dancing, playing cards, bingo, word searches, jigsaw puzzles, flowers, collecting angel figurines and being a part of many social activities. Betty was masterful at always sending cards for special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and other important life moments. She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan and attended her first Twins game in Minneapolis in 2024. Betty was very involved with the Moose Lodge, serving as officer, treasurer and vice president at the state and regional levels and became a lifetime member. She cherished time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Betty is survived by her children, Candi Hanson, Pam (Craig) Friedel, Becky (Gerrit) Brands, Lexey (Ed) Sorensen, Jerry (Doreen) Swanson, Peg (Tim) Larson and Vicki (Tony) Evans; stepdaughter Laura (Mike) Koepke; 16 grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; three step-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, William (1968) and Lillian (1978); husbands, Norm (1992) and Ed (2019); son-in-law Bones Hanson (2018); and stepson Keith Lounsbery (2007).
Visitation will be held from 9–11 a.m. Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Heritage Funeral Home, followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11 a.m. Interment will take place at Grandview Cemetery, rural Larchwood, following the luncheon.
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