Betty Jane Svihl, 84, Dickinson died Friday November 11, 2016 at her home. Betty’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9 a.m., Saturday, November 26, 2016 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson, with Msgr. Patrick Schumacher as the celebrant. Inurnment will follow at St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with a rosary & vigil at 7 p.m., with Deacon Bob Stockert presiding.
Betty was born on November 24, 1931 and was raised on her father’s farm in Dunn County. She grew up as the only child because her brother Eugene, died as an infant and her twin brothers were not born until she was almost married. She said many times, I always wanted a brother or sister to play with when I was growing up.
Betty married Ben Svihl on October 6, 1948 at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, New Hradec. Together they farmed on the Green River, north of Dickinson until they retired and moved to Dickinson in 2010. Betty wanted a large family because she grew up alone. She got her wish ending up with eight children. She also wanted to earn her own money, which is why she went to work after the twins got to school age. Her first job was a White Drug, washing dishes for $.65 an hour. She then went to work at Excel Cleaners where she developed her seamstress/alteration skills. She did this for 14 years. She then started her own alterations shop which she continued until right up to her death.
Betty enjoyed her large family and loved her alterations shop in Dickinson. Her homemaking included a summer garden, butchering her own chickens, canning, and baking. She almost always made three meals every day for her eight children and somebodies extra kid from somewhere always seemed to find their way to her dinner table. Many, many friends of the family, after becoming adults, thanked her for letting them come to her farm and just have a lot of fun. Her alterations shop was not only very lucrative but caused her to make hundreds of friends. Everybody in Dickinson knows Betty Jane and her sewing shop.
Betty did get her large family wish. She told her children she was very blessed to get to see her large family of eight children get married and then see her 24 grandchildren grow up and many of them get married and add to her family with 27 great-grandchildren.
Betty is survived by her eight children, Gaylene (Don) Schulz, Dickinson, Dennis (Marla) Svihl, Dickinson, Randy Svihl, Dickinson, Greg (Bobbi) Svihl, Williston, Rocky (Genie) Svihl, Surprise, Ariz., twins Kelly Svihl, Tonapah, Nev., and Kay Haag, Dickinson, and Tammy (Jamie) Jalbert, Dickinson; 23 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and brother Larry (Gayle) Pavlicek, Dickinson.
She was preceded in death by her husband Ben Svihl; parents Emil and Bessie (Barta) Pavlicek; brother Eugene Pavlicek; brother Gary Pavlicek; granddaughter Sally Ann Svihl; and ten of Ben’s brothers and sisters.
