Obituary of Betty Threlfell

The family of Betty Threlfell of Melvile, beloved wife of the late Ron Threlfell, sadly announce her passing on January 18, 2024. She was 82 years of age.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. from St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church, Melville with Fr. Michal Pajak officiating.

The interment will take place in St. Henry's Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Bailey's Funeral Home, Melville.

Betty Threlfell of Melville and formerly of Crooked Lake passed away Thursday, January 18, 2024 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Melville with her family at her side.  She was 82 years of age.

Betty May (Bisch) Threlfell was born October 11, 1941, to Herman and Mary (Gorecki) Bisch of Grayson. Betty went to Columbia School a primary country school, and then attended St. Henry’s High School in Melville. She continued her education at the University of Regina where she received her teaching diploma and began her teaching career at Marieval Education Centre.  She then received her Bachelor of Education Degree in 1975 while continuing to teach at Marieval until she retired in 1994.  She enjoyed educating and making a difference in the lives of young people.

Betty fondly talked about her trip to Germany in 1972 to meet her dad’s relatives. The fact that she spoke German made communication so much easier. She went to her dad’s birthplace which overlooked a valley. She understood why her dad and mom chose the farm on top of the valley as their place to live.

While Betty was teaching at Marieval, Ron a shy young man from Crooked Lake asked her out and the rest was history. They were married July 4, 1975, at St. Henry’s Roman Catholic Church in Melville. They resided at their valley home next to Crooked Lake. They had a son Terrance (Terry) in 1976. Tragedy struck when Ron was killed in a snowmobile accident in 1979. 

Betty being of strong character carried on. She finished the home that Ron and she had started to build up in the hills. She continued to live there until 2018 when she moved to Melville.  Her heart was always in the valley and would go visit whenever she could.  

Crooked lake was her happy place. She was well known at the lake for being a “character”. It has been mentioned how she helped with sandbagging during the flood years and was instrumental in organizing the Trans Canada Trail.  She was friendly, outspoken, generous, and stubborn. Betty loved to be outdoors winter and summer. She enjoyed winter sports such as snowmobiling and skiing.  She was passionate about downhill skiing and was a certified ski instructor. In the summer, she enjoyed golfing and gardening. She definitely had a green thumb.  Her greatest joy was sharing her bountiful harvest with friends and the lake community.

Betty was a loyal friend. She had a giving heart and would often help others especially those in need. Betty was a compassionate person who understood the grieving process and often would visit someone who had suffered the loss of a loved one.

Betty was a knowledgeable, dedicated, avid sports fan with strong opinions which she didn’t hesitate to share. Some of her favorite sports included hockey, football, and baseball. She enjoyed attending and cheering on the Melville Millionaire hockey team.

Betty loved her son, Terry and always had his best interest at heart. She passed on her passion for learning, encouraging Terry to continue his education. Life as a single mom was never easy, but Terry always came first. They enjoyed downhill skiing, water skiing and even took karate together.  Although they didn’t always see eye to eye, she was always proud of his accomplishments.

Betty’s faith was important to her. On occasion, she shared her gift of singing and playing guitar at Sacred Heart of Mary Church, Marieval better known as the Mission Church. When moving to Melville she became a devout member of St. Henry’s Catholic Church.

Betty was predeceased by her husband, Ronald, her parents Herman and Mary, her in-laws George and Kaye Threlfell her brothers Bob (Wilda) and Bill Bisch and her sister Leona Krohne. Sister-in-law Debbie (Threlfell) Wachal.

She leaves to mourn, her son Terry and fiancée Stacy and grandchildren. Brothers: Gerry (Janet), Charles (Gordon), Ted (Janice) Bisch and brother-in-law Gerhardt Krohne, sister-in-law Leona Bisch. Brother in-laws: Ken (Suzanne) Threlfell, and Bill Threlfell, Sister in laws:  Fran Threlfell and Carol (Jim) Somerville and many nieces, nephews and friends.