In Loving Memory of Elizabeth “Bettie” Holmes

February 19, 1947 to March 21, 2025

Bettie Holmes, 78, of South Omaha, passed away peacefully on March 21st, 2025, surrounded by her family and wrapped in love.

Born February 19, 1947, to Josephine and Howard, Bettie was the youngest of two daughters. A proud Ryan High School alum and South Omaha girl through and through, Bettie was born here, raised here, married here, and raised her kids here. She never strayed far from the neighborhood she loved. South O wasn’t just where she lived; it was part of who she was. She adored her neighborhood and its people, and they adored her right back.

Bettie was the life of every party, a firecracker wrapped in sweetness. She loved God, her family, her cuss words, and a good Kahlua and cream. Don’t even think about trying to beat her at Yahtzee—you’d lose. She could be sugar or spice depending on the day, but either way, she was unforgettable to everyone she met. If you tried to get in her way, you'd learn quickly: Bettie got things done, usually while humming a polka and bossing you (lovingly) around.

She was a woman of many hats and wore each one with style: cook, host, caterer, photographer, silk floral designer, and hobby genealogist. Her dumplings and sauerkraut could fix any mood, her kolaches were better than your grandma’s, and her corned beef and cabbage was a thing of legend.

A proud and devoted member of the Our Lady of Lourdes community, Bettie kept God close to her heart all her life. She had a deep affection for Father V and Sister T and gave countless hours of her time and talent to the church. She was lovingly known as the "Bag Lady" of the annual rummage sale, a title she carried with pride. She brought joy to every festival and rummage sale she helped organize, and faith to every friend she met in the pews.

Bettie had the rare ability to make anyone feel like they belonged. She made friends in grocery store aisles, chatted with complete strangers like they were long-lost cousins, and if she loved you, she probably called you every single day just to say hello. Talking was her love language. Feeding people was her ministry. And loving fiercely was her superpower.

More than anything, Bettie was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and true friend. Her family meant everything to her, and she deeply loved the life she and her husband built together. She was wildly proud and fiercely protective of her children, always their loudest cheerleader. She shared their accomplishments with anyone who would listen… and even those who wouldn’t.

Bettie beat cancer a few years ago, and when illness came again, she met it with unmatched strength, grit, humor, and grace. She never lost her sparkle, her sass, or her stubbornness.

She is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, David; her three children: Robby, David, and Jeannie; six grandchildren; two spoiled grand pups; and one great-grandchild. She also leaves behind a long list of extended family, devoted friends, and a whole South Omaha neighborhood that loved her deeply.

Bettie’s life will be celebrated on April 10th at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, with a viewing at 10:00 a.m. A party will follow in the church basement, exactly the kind of send-off she’d demand—with food, laughter, and music. In her honor, the family kindly asks that any floral arrangements be purple, especially lilacs, her favorite.

Bettie was one of a kind. She left a little bit of herself with everyone she met: with her hugs, her hot meals, her infectious laugh, and her unshakable love. She left this world exactly how she lived in it, on her terms, with her people, and probably thinking, “Did I forget to turn off the stove?” The world feels quieter without her, but heaven just got a whole lot louder.

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