Betty Kristo, 98, Rochester

Betty Jean Kristo passed away peacefully Sept. 2, 2026, at Samaritan Bethany Nursing home in Rochester, at age 98, with her sons Mark and Michael at her side.

Betty was born on Nov. 22, 1927, in Detroit, the daughter of Gilfe Elenore Hasse. Her birth name was Betty Jane Hasse. Her biological father was George Leiferman of Rochester.

She lived her first seven years on a farm near Plainview, with her Aunt Irene and Uncle Elmer Clausen and their sons Harold, Virgil and Dalles. She never really knew her birth mother as Elenore died at age 24 when Betty was only 7 years old. She only remembered meeting her once when she was young, when Aunt Irene took her took her to meet her grandparents Frederick Liepold Hasse and Mary Mathilde (Dalluge) Hasse in New Ulm.

After her Aunt Irene divorced and moved into town, Uncle Art Lombard came and helped Irene with chores and taking care of the kids while Irene was at work. However, this was during the Great Depression years and financially Irene couldn’t support Betty and her three sons alone, so she had to give her up. Betty became a ward of the State of MN and lived in several foster homes in Plainview. The summer after third grade, Betty moved to a foster home in Lake City. It was there she met her “best friend” Ottie May Laskowski and even though Ottie May was several years older, they became lifelong friends.

Over the next several years, her Uncle Art and Aunt Nell, who also lived in Lake City, would often take her to the movies, which she really enjoyed. They also introduced her to Dr. Paul and Alice Belanger, a couple that was childless. After several “getting to know” dinners with the Belanger’s, they became her new foster parents when she was in seventh grade. Three years later, on Nov. 10, 1941, she was formally adopted and her new legal name became Betty Jean Belanger.

She cherished being part of a family. Her new Mom Alice taught her how to bake and cook, and she often said her mom was a “pro.” Betty really loved baking pies, bars, cookies, bread and rolls. Betty also enjoyed her “family” trips to Iowa, South Dakota, and Western Minnesota meeting her new sets of “relatives.”

Betty had great fun running and playing ball at recess with her new classmates, but her big love was roller skating to and from Lincoln School with her leather soled shoes and “clamp on” roller skates. She was ecstatic by the time she was in Senior High School and Lake City built an indoor roller rink, and she was able to rent white roller skates with the wheels already attached. Betty took piano lessons for five years before giving that up so she could concentrate on singing. She was a soloist many times for her piano recital teacher and various churches.

Betty spent many days at the playground by Lake Pepin and during the winter she also enjoyed ice skating on Lake Pepin and playing crack the whip. (That could be the origin of the ice hockey history for her sons, grandkids and great grandkids!) She was a true “Hockey Mom” and later became a huge fan of the MN Wild.

Betty met the love of her life Kristaq “Christ” in 7th grade at age 13. Their first meeting was at the Blue Moon Café where Christ worked after school for his uncles Martin Peters and Todi Kristo. Christ couldn’t speak English yet and she remembered how he smiled, bowed slightly, clicked his heels (Albanian style) and extended his hand. Betty said it was “puppy love” at first sight. The next time they met, Christ gave her that same bow and said, “Hi”, with a smile. Later in Junior High they started dating and would enjoy walks by Lake Pepin, going to movies and afterward getting Cherry Cokes.

Christ was drafted into the Army in June 1944 and didn’t return until Jan. 12, 1946. Betty stayed busy during that time attending school, being in class plays, singing in various churches and Women’s Clubs, and growing up. There were many letters written between Christ and Betty those many months. She remembered one that arrived with a “hand pressed” peony from Germany which she thought was pretty special.

Betty graduated from Lincoln High School in June of 1946 and worked in a gift shop the following year while Christ was going to college in Winona. He hitched-hiked home every weekend to work at the Blue Moon Café and see his “Betts.” Christ had a big influence on her faith and was her baptismal sponsor June 10, 1948. They united in marriage three days later, on June 13, 1948, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Lake City, and moved to Winona.

Betty and Christ were blessed with their first son, Monte, in June 1949. Over the next several years they lived in Maiden Rock, Wis., and Hastings, Minn., before moving to Owatonna in August 1954. Christ began teaching at Owatonna High School. They joined St. Paul’s Episcopal Church shortly after arriving in Owatonna. Sons Mark and Michael expanded her family over the next five years.

Betty was a full-time homemaker while raising her family of three boys and stayed very busy volunteering in various activities. Among her favorite things were being a Cub Scout Den Mother, a Faculty Wives’ member, teaching bible school for 15 years, being on the St. Paul’s Altar Guild and singing in the church choir. She loved baking pies and cookies for the annual St. Paul’s Bazaar.

Betty loved the outdoors and going on long walks with Christ and tent camping. There were many camping trips to Yellowstone, the Black Hills and Lake Carlos State Park. She later loved her annual camping trips to Nerstrand Big Woods with Christ and their eight grandchildren. To keep her grandma’s names straight, Megan, her only granddaughter, nick-named her “Grandma

Pink” after her love of pink (house color, roses, and clothes.) She loved being a great-grandmother to her nine great-grandchildren whom she described as, “God’s gift to all of us.”

Betty was an avid reader throughout her life and was also a creative artist that loved pencil drawings. She was also an excellent seamstress and made many clothes for herself and her family. She had hundreds of templates to make hand sewn felt Christmas ornaments that are on many family Christmas trees. But her favorite hobby was the many hours and years spent with Christ tending to their large vegetable garden, numerous beautiful flower beds and apple trees. She was also a cat lover and her most adorable one was her Abbey.

Betty is survived by her sons Mark (MaryBeth) of Eden Prairie, and Michael (Tamara) of Rochester; eight grandchildren: Aaron, Matthew (Sarah), Nate (Megan), Danny, Megan (Kristo) Gosda (Tanner), Jovan (Jessica), Jordan (Katie Gatzke) and Jared (Stacia) Kristo; and nine great- grandchildren: Ariana, Emilia, Jack, Noah, Rachel, Lizzy Kristo and JohnPaul, Maria and Katherine Gosda.

She was preceded in death by her husband Kristaq in 2011 and oldest son Monte in 2017.

The Kristo family would like to thank everyone at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for the many years of love and support for Betty and her family. Also, special thank you and gratitude to her “Angel” home caregiver Tracy Von Helmst, long-time neighbors Sue and Rich Gerdts, the staff at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Hospice, and all the nurses, aides and support staff at Samaritan Bethany Nursing Home.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 220 South Cedar Avenue, Owatonna. Visitation will be held from 9:30–11 a.m., with the funeral service beginning at 11 a.m. A luncheon will be served after the service, followed by interment at Forest Hill Cemetery.

Betty’s (self-written funeral service) requested no flowers but memorials for her beloved St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

For more information or to leave an online message of condolence, go to www.megercares.com.