Bette Zirbes

Bette June Zirbes, age 88 of Melrose, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, February 15 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Mitchell Bechtold officiating. Inurnment will be held in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose and from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church in Melrose. Parish prayers will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Bette June Hinman was born September 9, 1927 in Grey Eagle Village, Todd County, Minnesota to Arthur and Eva (Close) Hinman. She was united in marriage to Donald "Supe" Zirbes on December 13, 1952. June worked at the Melrose Public Schools from 1972 through 1985 in food services and was a wonderful homemaker to her husband and family. She volunteered for many years at Pine Villa Nursing Home in Melrose and also with Meals on Wheels.

She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose, Christian Mothers, Legion of Mary, Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary, Big Birch Lake Association, and a member of TOPS for ten years. June enjoyed fishing, smelting, playing BINGO, and loved making people smile when she was a clown. She was very gifted in the kitchen where she enjoyed cooking and baking, especially baking banana bread for her grandchildren. June was fondly called "June Bug" by CentraCare staff and greeted everyone with the song, "You Are My Sunshine."

Survivors include her children, Joan (Ken) Voigt of Alexandria, Donald, Jr. (Carol) Zirbes of Two Harbors, Linda (Lonny) Laforge of Albany, Debi (Brendan) Larson of Sauk Rapids, Mary Zirbes of Maple Lake, and Becky Roering of Lino Lakes; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

June was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Zirbes on September 4, 1984; grandchildren, Nicholas Zirbes, Toni Marie Laforge, Joshua Zirbes; sister, Patricia Bryan; and brothers, Richard Hinman and Keith Hinman.

Serving as urn bearer will be Nathan Larson. Cross bearer will be Jenna Roering and scripture bearer will be Jesse Roering. Honorary bearers will be Rosemary Johnson, Lorraine Bierschbach, Ellie Olmscheid, and the TOPS ladies.