Betty Jane Lahue Phillipps

Betty Jane Lahue Phillipps passed away peacefully Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at her home in La Crosse. In her waning days, she marveled at all the happy times she had in her life and wished more happy times for all those she loved.

Betty was born on Oct. 25, 1928, in Madison, Wis., to Andrew and Alma (Syverson) Underdahl. She was full blooded Norwegian, and she let everyone know that she was very proud of her heritage and only looked down on non-Norwegians a little bit. She celebrated life and was very social throughout her life.

She grew up in the Mississippi River Valley, living near Winona, Minn., before her family moved to a farm near Dresbach. She loved farm life as a child, raising sheep and other animals. She also had a newspaper delivery route when few girls did that. But she was no ordinary girl.

Betty’s family moved to La Crosse, where she graduated from Central High School in 1947. She worked for the phone company for seven years and later was employed by a La Crosse Coca Cola distributor. Of all her jobs (other than caring for her family), she most enjoyed the volunteer work she did in her 70s and 80s at State Road Elementary, where she was affectionately known as Grandma Betty.

She was often the belle of the ball, having a wonderful sense of humor and ability to enjoy laughing and fun activities with all ages. In her late 60s, she sprained her ankle jumping rope in high heels at a church function and would not go to the doctor until she had her pizza. She also broke her hip and a year later insisted that the surgeon remove the hardware as it weighed 3 pounds and she didn’t want to be 3 pounds heavier.

Betty was very church- and family-oriented, taking great pleasure in being a wife and mother. She married W. Russell “Russ” Lahue in May 1953. They had two children: Daniel (1955) and Karen (1957). Russ passed away in 1999. In June 2010, Betty married George S. Phillipps, who passed away in 2023.

In addition to Russ and George, she also was preceded in death by her children, Karen in 2018, and Dan in 2023. She also was preceded in death by her siblings, Doris. Lewis, and Alice.

She leaves behind three grandchildren, Justin Lahue, Erik Carlson, and Molly (Carlson) Frank;. three great grandchildren Madeleine, Rosemary, and Charlotte Frank, who all live in England. She also will be missed by her daughter-in-law, Joyce, and son-in-law, Mark; many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews; and her church family and many friends throughout the area.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home, 200 West Ave. S., La Crosse. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, at First Evangelical Free Church’s Chapel on the Hill, 123 Mason St., Onalaska. A private interment will be Thursday, Oct. 17, at Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse.