Betty Chindlund

Betty J. Chindlund, 95, of Storm Lake went home to Heaven on Feb. 19, 2026, after a long and beautiful life.

Funeral services will take place Saturday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. at United Methodist Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in Storm Lake Cemetery. Visitation will take place Friday, Feb. 27, from 5-7 p.m. at Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Memorials will be given to Hope Evangelical Free Church of Storm Lake and Bott Christian Radio of Sioux Rapids.

Betty Jacqueline Pollard was born on June 9, 1930, in Le Mars to John T. Pollard and Ruth E. (Lownes) Pollard. She had fond memories of her time as a small child on the farm outside of Merrill. She and her mother moved into town sometime after her father’s death, making their home on Main Street among a special community of neighbors who looked out for them. When Betty was nine, her mother began treatment for breast cancer and was in and out of hospitals and care centers. Betty remembered dressing her mother’s wounds and caring for her when she would return home, displaying her courage, compassion and tenacity, even as a young girl. Her mother died three years later, leaving Betty an orphan at the age of 12.

In the years to follow, Betty stayed with and worked for various families in Merrill and Lake View, Ottawa, Ill., and finally, Alta, cleaning their homes and caring for their kids to earn her room and board.

Betty attended Alta High school as a teenager while also working at Peterson’s Grocery Store and Polar’s Dairy during the school year, and the Lake Cafe in Storm Lake during the summers. She especially enjoyed biology/anatomy, history/geography, and choir, subjects she continued to pursue in various fashion throughout her life. She graduated in 1949 and cherished her dear classmates, maintaining and celebrating these friendships and memories at many class reunions.

Betty met Bill Chindlund, a 1946 graduate of Hayes School, during her sophomore year of high school. They started dating and, as their relationship grew, Betty found the family life she had been longing for with Bill and his family. The couple were united in marriage on July 24, 1949, at Alta United Methodist Church. 

Bill and Betty soon moved to a farm southwest of Rembrandt. In the decade that followed, five children were born to the couple. When their youngest child was nine, the couple welcomed twin girls into the family.

Daily life was busy as Betty diligently cared for her ever-growing family, farming husband and community in meaningful ways, including countless household tasks, cooking, baking, gardening, canning and church activities, while also keeping up with the children’s school and extracurricular activities and ministering to extended family, friends and neighbors.

Betty was a beautiful example of faithfulness in her role as wife as she lovingly cared for Bill, supported his work and other interests, and ministered to him spiritually. She fed countless farm hands and delivered many lunches to the fields through the years, and spent nearly 50 years as the administrative assistant in Bill’s truck equipment business, answering customer calls or offering coffee and cookies to customers around the kitchen table.

A people-person with a special zest for life, Betty yearned to make the most of any experience for herself and others, always seeking to make things beautiful, meaningful or fun. Family gatherings and family photos were especially valued. Through the years, family members came to treasure the beautiful birthday cakes she decorated and the birthday cards with her personal, hand-written letters tucked inside. She continued to send cards/letters to each of her nearly 90 family members until her 92nd year. Friends and neighbors were also encouraged as Betty shared meals, baked goods, thoughtful notes or flowers in their time of need.

Betty dearly appreciated the beauty, creativity and friendships she experienced in various roles in her community. In 1969, in celebration of recently becoming a mother of twins, Betty helped create a local chapter of Mothers of Twins Clubs of Iowa and was honored to design the logo for the club with two little babies’ faces inside a rosebud. In the early 1970s, she was one of two charter members of the Buena View Federated Garden Club, where she participated as an active member/officer for over 40 years. She enjoyed growing plants of all kinds, learning new things, teaching others, competing in annual garden shows, and beautifying the community. Having passed this love for gardening and beauty onto her family, beautiful blooms will forever remind them of Betty.

From the time she was a little girl, Betty always knew God was with her and put her faith in Jesus as her Savior. Betty’s faith helped her to meet both joys and trials with her characteristic determination and optimism. She was an active member of Center Grove Evangelical Free Church (Alta) for 45 years and, later, Hope Evangelical Free Church (Storm Lake), faithfully serving in many capacities through the years, always with a heart to glorify God and to help others know and grow in their relationship with him. Special among these was her love for the children in Cradle Roll and Sunday School, harmonizing in special music groups, and regularly bringing flower arrangements from her garden for the communion table. Additionally, she faithfully lifted loved ones and circumstances up to the Lord in prayer.

Beyond church participation, Betty was an avid listener of Christian Radio, soaking up the biblical teaching and educating herself about troubling societal trends. With deep conviction and a desire to make a difference in her community and the world, she began advocating for biblical/traditional values by working with various organizations and campaigning for conservative politics. Her boldness, courage and perseverance, even in the face of opposition or ridicule, inspired many.

Betty leaves this earth having lived a life of faith and strength, ever ready with a bright smile and an encouraging word. She loved Jesus, loved people and diligently sought to bring God’s truth, love and beauty to the world around her. She was a blessing to many and will be greatly missed.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her parents-in-law, Les and Pearl Chindlund; her half-brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Mickie Pollard; her half-sister Mae Pollard; and her husband Bill Chindlund.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children: Alan (Barb) Chindlund of Marshfield, Mo.; Annie Bade of Denver, Colo.; Sue (Craig) Boyd of Storm Lake; Norm (Robin) Chindlund of Spencer; Jeff (Jean) Chindlund of Storm Lake; Joan (Jeff) Haugen of Cottage Grove Minn.; and Jennifer (Rod) Hartwig of Panora; as well as her grandchildren and their families: Chris Chindlund of Springfield, Mo.; Jaimie Foulk of Columbia, Mo.; Erin Price of Camdenton, Mo.; Megan Evans of Centennial, Colo.; Tonja Jenkins of Ames; Luke Boyd of Ankeny; Levi Boyd of Omaha, Neb.; Tyler Boyd of Polk City; Nicole Stauffer of Indianola; Melanie Cavil of Defuniak Springs, Fla.; Andrew Chindlund of Des Moines; Sarah Chindlund of Storm Lake; Benjamin Haugen of Davenport; Spencer Haugen of St. Paul, Minn.; Thomas Haugen of Ankeny; Jacob Hartwig of Atlantic; Alex Hartwig of Lubbock, Texas; and Jessica Hartwig of Waukee; along with her sister- and brother-in-law, Jan (Roy) Vogel of Bella Vista, Ark.; and many dear nieces and nephews.