Betty A. Jelinek

Betty A. Jelinek, 85, of Grand Island died Saturday, December 21, 2019, at Bickford Cottage in Grand Island.



Services will be at 10:30 A.M. Friday, December 27, 2019 at Berean Bible Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Jim Reynolds will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.



Visitation will be from 4 to 7 P.M. Thursday, December 26, 2019, at the Apfel Funeral Home – Grand Island.



Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date.



Betty A. Jelinek was born September 12, 1934, near St. Paul, NE to Charles A. and Esther H. (Fuller) DeMary. Betty grew up and received her education in St. Paul.



Betty married John L. Jelinek on December 24, 1950, at Central City, NE. The couple made their home on the family farm near Farwell where John farmed. They lived in St. Paul for one year, and then moved to Grand Island.

Betty worked in various jobs over the years. She retired from Walmart in 2003.



Betty was an active member of the Berean Bible Church in Grand Island where she was involved with the church social group, the Primetimers group and the singles group. She also did a good amount of volunteer work for the church. She and John were also members of the Czech Society.



Her hobbies included crocheting, quilting, various crafts, sewing, cooking and baking. Betty enjoyed country music, polka and collecting dolls.



Betty was diagnosed with dementia in 2014, and moved to Bickford Assisted Living, where she was lovingly cared for and enjoyed doing many activities with the other residents. She never spent a day there without a visit from her family.



Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Janet and Ronald Smith and Bette and Freddie Plummer all of Grand Island; one son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Chris Jelinek of Grand Island; 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; one son-in-law, Kenneth Blue of Grand Island; four brothers and spouses, Dick and Joan DeMary of Chapman, KS, Paul and Delia DeMary of Minneapolis, KS, Max DeMary of Sidney, MT and David A. DeMary of St, Paul, NE; and two sisters, Alberta G. Fisher of Trenton, MO and Maxine and Todd White of Grand Island.



She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John L. Jelinek; son, John C. Jelinek III; daughter, Jeanne Blue; granddaughter, Jaime Plummer; two brothers, Charles “Sonny” DeMary and George DeMary; and two sisters, Elnora Tschudy and Alice Grim.