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Elizabeth “Betti” Igel, age 76, of Taylors Falls, MN and later Chaska, passed away gracefully at home surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, from an incredibly fast, but intense fight with cancer.  In Betti-fashion, it was a “beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day,” on which she would have kicked everyone out of the house to play or get work done in the sunshine.

Betti spent 29 years positively impacting the lives of thousands of kids and community members through the Taylors Falls public school system.  She later did the same for over eight years at the Chaska Step by Step Montessori School.  Whether young or old, everyone who knew her always took the time to let her know how much she was loved and admired.  Despite her family’s urging to stay home during the current pandemic, she insisted on continuing to work at Step by Step to take care of the children of other caregivers and essential workers. Betti also impacted lives by her example of intense daily exercise.  Untold numbers of people simply knew her as the ‘rollerblade lady’ they would pass every day on Wild Mountain Road in Taylors Falls and the streets of Chaska.  She racked up 92,000 miles of rollerblading in her career and many thousands of miles more cross-country skiing when there was snow.  Her last day rollerblading and working was the day she went into the hospital, nine days before her passing. Betti was also an award winning gardener, earning her Master Gardener certification from the University of Minnesota, creating and maintaining acres of gardens in Taylors Falls.  She was known for arranging beautiful bouquets of flowers and care packages of vegetables from her gardens, which she generously shared with everyone including her church, her friends, and senior care centers.  

She is survived and will be intensely missed by her husband Jim of 52 years; their children David (Rachel); grandchildren Luke and Zoe of Chanhassen, MN and Julie Blomquist (Timm); grandchildren Kayla, Nick and Drew of Nixa, MO and Michael of Avon, CO; also siblings Marilu Bambery, Donna James, Frank (Judy) Stucki, Kevin (Diane) Stucki, Rick (Janney) Stucki, Renee (John) Ophoven, and Lori Stucki.

With the help of her dear friend and skiing partner Fr. Bob White at St. Victoria Catholic Church, the family will hold a celebration of her life at a future date. Funeral arrangements are with the Bertas Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Chaska, MN.

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