Betty Lee Lee, 79, Minot died on Sunday, August 30, 2015 in a Bismarck hospital.

Betty Mills was born on February 12, 1936 in Ury, West Virginia to Lundy and Peggy (Milam) Mills. She was reared there and in Sophia, WV and Soak Creek, WV where she attended school. As a young adult she was employed in a Madenform factory in Princeton, WV.

Betty married Gary A. Lee on April 5, 1958 in Sophia, WV. They made their home at various U.S. Navy bases throughout the world including California, Guam, Spain, Virginia, and Hawaii. The family settled in Minot in 1976 where Betty was employed at the South Hill Dairy Queen; then, at King's Food Host as a cook for approximately fifteen years.

Betty was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and sister-in-law. She and her husband Gary had been married 57 years at the time of Betty's death. They loved each other very much and it showed in the many ways they helped each other at home, went practically everywhere together, and still held hands when out and about. Betty was also a hard worker and put her heart into whatever she did. She was a gracious woman who didn't hold grudges. Betty enjoyed baking, gardening, birdwatching, playing board games including PIT, and spending holidays and special occasions with her family. Her favorite color was red and anyone who had been in her kitchen could tell. She loved planting and tending to all of her flowers and plants both inside and outside her house, especially her petunias that she planted in the front of her house every year and her lilac bushes. Her favorite flowers were daisies. She also loved the sound of all of wind chimes on the porch. Even though Betty lived in North Dakota, while most of her siblings lived out east or down south, Betty enjoyed a very close relationship with her siblings. If you called the Lee house in the morning and the phone was busy Betty was usually talking with one of her brothers or sisters.

Betty also faithfully attended Southside Church of the Nazarene - Minot. At the church, Betty was a frequent volunteer and helped out by planting flowers around the church, preparing food/snacks for Vacation Bible School, baking for and helping out at church potlucks, being a greeter, decorating the church for holidays, sending get well, birthday, and anniversary cards to shut-ins and members and cards to visitors to the church, helping out with garage sales, and loved on the little ones in church. Betty also enjoyed Family Fun Night at the church, and all the other game nights as well as gatherings with her church family. Betty enjoyed all the bible studies she attended at the church, and she enjoyed singing hymns and songs.

Betty's loving family includes her husband Gary; daughters: Karen (Paul) Prout of Williston, ND, and Linda (Cliff) Betterley of Bismarck, ND; grandson: Caleb Prout of Williston, ND; siblings: Myrtle (Ivan) Basham of Sophia, WV, Ruby Rupe of Beckley, WV, Oley (Judy) Mills of Harker Heights, TX, Thelma Mullens of East Leroy, MI, Thurman "Roger" Mills of Sophia, WV, and Roscoe (Leona) Mills of Vance, AL; sister-in-law: Kim Lee (Darrin Frohlich) of Bismarck, ND; as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents and brothers: Eugene (Lola) Mills, Clifton "Buster" Mills, William Francis "French" (Lynn) Mills, and Clyde Cleve Mills and brother in law, George "Bud" Lee.

Celebration of the Life of Betty Lee: Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. in Southside Church of the Nazarene - Minot.
Graveside Service: Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery - rural Mandan.
Visitation: Monday, September 7, 2015, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot.
The family asks that any gifts or memorials be sent or given in honor of Betty to Southside Church of the Nazarene, 2220 24th Ave SE, Minot, ND 58701.