Betty Jeanne (Michel) Reuvers

Betty Jeanne (Michel) Reuvers, age 89, of Faribault, Minnesota, passed away June 8 with family at her side. She was born April 19, 1937, in Faribault to Gordon and Vivian (Hansen) Michel and grew up on her family’s fourth-generation dairy and row-crop farm south of town. It was there, in the fields and barns of her childhood, that she learned the values that shaped her life: hard work, faith, generosity and the joy of caring for others.

Betty was active in 4‑H, proudly representing the Warsaw Willing Workers Club. She showed Brown Swiss cattle, was a champion dairy showman in Rice County, and excelled in the home economics projects she loved most—advanced bread making, baking, food preservation and sewing—earning recognition at the state and national levels. One of the most meaningful experiences of her 4‑H years was being selected as a Minnesota state 4‑H ambassador and traveling to Mississippi in June 1954 as part of an interstate exchange program.

Betty graduated from Faribault High School in 1955, where she served as class president and president of Future Homemakers of America, reflecting the leadership and homemaking talents she carried throughout her life. She attended the University of Minnesota business school for one year before returning home to work at Lockwood Auto in Faribault as a bookkeeper, where her sharp mind and warm personality quickly made her indispensable.

In the summer of 1956, at a wedding dance at Jewett’s Point, Betty met the love of her life, Thomas Reuvers. They were married on July 13, 1957, and together built a life of deep partnership and enduring love. For more than 40 years, they farmed north of Faribault, tending a dairy and row-crop operation while raising five children. Their nearly 63-year marriage, until Tom’s passing in 2020, was marked by faith, humor, gratitude and steadfast devotion.

Betty was a loving mother to Michael Reuvers (Cindi) of Fountain Hills, Arizona; Joanne “Jodi” Reuvers of Rochester; Janelle Ross (Joel) of Lonsdale; Jean Reuvers (deceased); and Julie Reuvers of St. Paul.

She was a proud grandmother to Jacob Reuvers; Jenna Ross; Justine (Ross) Krueger; Alexandra (Reuvers) Williamson; Jay Ross (Isabella); and Noe and Brooks Christensen; and a delighted great-grandmother to Natalie Avalos, Carter Reuvers, Paisley, Addison and Owen Ross.

Her faith was central to her life. Betty grew up attending Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church and, after her marriage, became a longtime member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church, where she was active in the Daughters of Isabella. She also gave back through public service, including serving on the Rice County Welfare Board and opening her home as a foster parent.

Betty was widely known as a gifted baker, having learned from her mother, Vivian. Her chocolate chip banana bread, cookies, cinnamon and orange rolls, homemade pies, breads, donuts and Christmas tea rings were legendary—cherished staples at family gatherings, community events and on the doorsteps of friends and neighbors. She had a quiet way of showing up with a home-cooked meal whenever someone faced illness, loss or one of life’s many challenges.

She also worked for a time with the Rice County Sheriff’s Office and later at Norwest Bank, bringing steady reliability, warm professionalism and a strong work ethic to every role she held.

After retiring from farming in 1998, Betty and Tom spent winters in Mesa, Arizona, where they formed a close-knit community of friends. They enjoyed golfing together and attending Arizona State basketball and baseball games, as well as college bowl games.

Betty was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, Godmother and friend. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the community she supported and the countless lives touched by her generosity.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom; her daughter, Jean; her parents; her siblings Winnie Dokken, Donald Michel and Richard Michel; in-laws Howard Dokken, James and Suzanne Reuvers, Lawrence and Beverly Reuvers, Sister Adriane Reuvers, O.S.B., and Joanne Reuvers; and nephew, Billy Dokken.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault. Private family interment will be at the St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2026, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home, 1725 Lyndale Ave., Faribault, and on Monday from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the church.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Brighton Hospice for their compassionate care and support.

Her family will forever remember her as a woman of unwavering faith, remarkable strength and endless love. Fiercely independent and spirited, she remained strong to the very end. A keeper of traditions, a giver of comfort, and the heart of every gathering, she was the consummate “hostess with the mostest,” whose greatest joy was opening her home, cooking for those she loved, and creating meaningful moments that kept family and friends connected.