Betty Dack

Betty Louise Burton Dack peacefully went to be with her loved ones and Savior, entering Eternity on Saturday, 28 January 2006 while a resident of the Hillcrest Nursing Home her home for the past 29 years. She was 75.

Betty first saw the light of day being born on September 5, 1930 near Bartley, Nebraska to Myrl Russell and Clarice Lucille (Culver) Burton. She was raised by her “step-dad“, Fern O. Ellis, in Cambridge and graduated from Cambridge High School Class of 1947. After graduation she moved to McCook to live with an aunt and uncle to find employment. She worked in various cafes and this was where she met her partner for life, Bob Dack.

On September 5, 1948 she married Robert Francis “Bob” Dack at her mother’s home in Cambridge. Betty and Bob farmed both southwest of McCook on the Dack homestead, and east of McCook on the flat bottom land near the river for many years before moving to their city home on West Fifth. The Lord blessed them with four children, 3 sons and the youngest, a daughter. Betty enjoyed her children, keeping house and hosting various parties like Tupperware, Stanley, etc. She was diagnosed in the mid 1960’s with multiple sclerosis. Her parents, husband, family and friends did everything possible to help, aid, comfort and care for her while still in her own home. However, the crippling disease disabling her, she entered Hillcrest Nursing Home on July 15, 1976, when her youngest child, Jana, was 11 years old. Betty was a devoted wife and very kind, loving mother. She and Bob celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary just before his passing in 1995.

Betty was a people person and enjoyed residing at Hillcrest. In her early years at the Home, she often hosted parties and daily delivered the mail to residents in her electric wheelchair. Hillcrest counted on her many years to daily read the menus at mealtime and recite the blessing. She enjoyed it so when her family gathered with her for birthdays and holidays.

Betty was a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church of McCook and her particular Ladie’s Circle from the church always remembered and showered her with cards and visits.

Betty, along with her husband, Bob, and her mother, Lucille started the MS chapter here in Red Willow County.

Preceding her in death were: her parents, Myrl Russell Burton on October 26, 1998, Clarice Lucille (Culver) Burton Ellis Behrendt on August 29, 1986; step-dad, Fern O. Ellis on September 9, 1972; her husband, Bob Dack on September 18, 1995; her daughter, Jana Sue (Dack) Latimer Biltoft on January 11, 1999; her brother, Ralph Myrl Burton on June 3, 2000 and her daughter-in-law, Julie (Kruegar) Dack on March 21, 2001; four brothers-in-law Clyde “Bud” Dack, Lawrence “Dutch” Eisenbarth and John “Jack” Dack all of McCook and Art Swanson of St. George, Utah; three sisters-in-law Agnes, Doris and Grace Dack all of McCook.

Survivors include her children, daughter-in-law and care-taker Sherrie Goad Dack and her sons, Carter and Stuart Dack of McCook; sons, Robert Dack of North Platte, Bill and wife Shirley Dack, and their sons, Richard and wife Debra, Stephen and Keenan of McCook and Dana Dack of McCook and his children, Natasha and Brandon Dack of Hastings; son-in-law Lynn Biltoft and grandson Jeffery Robert Dack of McCook; and grandchildren Melissa Dack Stanzel Markey and Jeremy (Dack) Stanzel.

Nine great-grandchildren: Miles, Alexander, Cameron, Trinity, David, Zachary and Shandell Dack all of McCook; Liberty Grace Markey of Grand Junction, Colorado; and Shawn James Dack Louden of Hastings, Nebraska.

Two sisters-in-law, Dorothy (Dack) and husband Richard Nielson and Barbara (Dack) and husband Raymond Grafel all of McCook; one brother-in-law Richard and wife Karen Dack of McCook.

Four step-brothers, Bill and wife Jean Ellis of Bartley, Jim and wife Carolyn Ellis of Cambridge, Don and wife Susie Burton of Bartley, Bob and wife Pam Burton of Va. Beach, Va. Three step-sisters, Patricia (Ellis) Williams Swanson of St. George, Utah, Juniata (Burton) Haller and husband Jacob of Richland, MO and Charlotte (Burton) Fisher and husband, Larry of North Platte.

A host of nieces, nephews, cousins and many other close friends Betty has made throughout the years, all of which faithfully remembered her with a card on birthdays or at Christmas. Through the years, Betty has “adopted” all the Hillcrest Nursing Home employees, past and present, and the many various residents, who came and went, as her extended family too.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 AM on Friday, 03 February 2006 at Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook with Pastor Jon Albrecht officiating. Burial will be along side her husband, Bob, and daughter, Jana, in Memorial Park.


Memorials may be given in her memory.

Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook was in charge of the arrangements.

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