Betty Jean Lee

Betty Jean (Urness) Lee, 80, of Bagley, died Friday Nov. 6, 2009, at Garden Place Assisted Living in Bagley.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Cease Family Funeral Home in Bagley. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Missionary Alliance Cemetery in Nay-Tah-Waush, Minn.

She was born to Joseph and Gena (Benson) Urness, in Mahnomen, Minn. She attended school in Mahnomen, graduating in 1946, and then attended Hamline University in Minneapolis graduating in 1949, with a degree in nursing. She married Oscar Jay Lee Jr. April 7, 1951, in Mahnomen. They moved to the Twin Cities, where they started their family. She worked at Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis until her retirement in 1988. They then moved to Almena, Wis. Oscar died in 1990. She moved to Bagley in 2003, to be closer to her daughter, Gina. In October 2008, she moved into Garden Place. She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, reading and spending time with her cat.

She is survived by her sons, Mike Lee of Lake Arrowhead, Calif. and Tim (Donna) Lee of Brooklyn Park, Minn.; daughters, Patie (Barry) Neitzel of Almena, Wis., Katie (Mark) Andersen of Rapid City, S.D. and Gina Mathison of Bagley; 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; brothers, Oliver and Wilfred; sisters, Cora and Gert; a granddaughter and a great-grandson.

Messages of condolence may be sent to ceasefuneralhome.com.