Elizabeth "Bette" Hale

88 years young.​Elizabeth “Bette” Louise Hale passed away peacefully at sunrise on March 9th in Roseville. Throughout her life she was known by many names, Bette Lou, Betts, Mom, Mamacita, Gram, and Beema, and Auntie Bette to name a few. She was born during the Great Depression and grew up in Frog Town and never dreamt she would live the life she did.​It is an understatement to say that everyone that met Bette loved her immediately. People of all ages were drawn by her warmth and ability to make everyone feel special. Bette’s kind heart set an example for everyone who knew her.​Her love of adventure led her to travel both locally and abroad. She was lucky enough to enjoy a ride on the Concorde to Europe, visited South Africa to go on Safari three times, and enjoyed spending as much time as possible with her family up at Lake Lizzie. She was always a lover of animals and truly enjoyed sitting at the end of the dock listening to the loons and watching the eagles fly. She was a huge lover of ice cream and enjoyed making a Dairy Queen run with her dogs.​Music was always an important part of her life. From a young age she sang on the radio and was featured with local musicians like “Slim Jim and the Vagabond Kid”. Everyone in the family loved to hear her sing. Some of her classics included “How much is that Doggy in the Window”, “Butterfly sat on the railroad track” and “My Sweet Little Dolly”.​She loved the theater and introduced her family to the classics. She thought it was important to go to concerts and frequently bought her children tickets. Bette loved to dance and never missed a chance to hit the dance floor, even when she was in a wheelchair.​Bette was extremely proud of her recovery and read from “Twenty Four Hours a Day”, every day for over 30 years, which is a publication offering daily meditations for people in recovery and those affected by addiction. This is one of the meditations that reminded the family of her:         “The influence of a beautiful hopeful character is contagious and may                    revolutionize a town.” -Eleanor Porter           We have met certain people who inspired laughter, hope, or changes in                us, or those close to us. We look forward to seeing them. We leave their              presence believing in ourselves, aware that we can tackle whatever                      problems had us immobilized. That special gift to inspire is ours for the              taking, too. The inspiration comes from [Bette].​Bette loved flowers and took great pleasure in gardening. She spent mornings drinking coffee and watching the squirrels and birds from her kitchen window. She loved all puppies, and puppy breath was her favorite. She would always warn her family that you don’t just go to “look at a dog”.​She enjoyed spending time with her grandkids and great grandkids and was famous for making pancakes in the shape of their favorite animal. You could not go home without enjoying an ice cream sundae, or Monday, or whatever day of the week it happened to be, with her.​Bette was a very special lady and she will be missed forever.​Preceded in death by her father, Martin Erickson; mother, Margaret Erickson; beloved husband, James Hale; mother in law, Louise Cedarholm; father in law, Emil Cedarholm; son, Richard Hale; daughter, Jamie Hale; son in law, Ross Correia; and grandson, James Hale-Florez. Survived by son, Robert Hale; daughter, Mary Hale-Haniff; son, Michael Hale; daughter, Nancy Correia; daughter, Elizabeth Reynolds (Glen); 13 grand-children; 10 great-grandchildren; extended family including her nieces and nephew, grand-nieces and nephews, and countless friends.​Funeral service 12:00 Noon Wednesday, March 13 at Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel, 1 Tower Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55417. Visitation at the chapel from 11 AM  - 12 Noon Wednesday 3/13. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.​In lieu of flowers, memorial preferred to Our Lady of Peace Hospice, 2076 St. Anthony Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104.