Elizabeth "Betty" Jeanne Hellerud

Betty was born on July 30, 1943, at St. John’s Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota to William C. Lincoln and Jeanne Elizabeth (Hegge) Lincoln, she had one younger brother, Robert.

Betty was married to Allen E. Hellerud from 1964-1976, and they had five children – Dana, Michael, Darren, Brett (Kristal), and Tricia (Scott).

In 1982, Betty graduated from North Dakota State University with a master’s degree in counseling. Her specialty was working as an addiction counselor. She worked in that field from 1982 to 2012 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. For many years of her career, she was employed by the Northeast Human Service Center where she worked with a team of highly dedicated counselors (and close friends) that shared a passion for helping people and building a work community that supported one another with a laugh, a potluck or a shoulder to lean on.

Betty was known as ‘Beba’ to her thirteen grandchildren, she loved them all very much and had a special relationship with all of them and they were simply the ‘loves of her life’: Dana’s four children – Roger, Christine, Nicole, and Amy; Michael’s two children – James and Sarah; Darren’s two children – Christopher and Josh; Brett’s three children – Tori, Hunter and Kaylee; and Tricia’s twins – Julia and Jack.

After retiring, Betty moved to Crookston, Minnesota, to be closer to her daughter and her grandchildren. Over the years, Betty enjoyed hosting family gatherings, spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren (nine of them), quilting, watching crime shows and mysteries, attending hockey games, and listening to music (especially Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot, and Jimmy Buffet). In 2026, Betty moved to Moorhead, Minnesota, where she lived with her daughter and spent as much time as she could with her kids and grandkids.

On October 18, 2026, Betty passed away peacefully at her home after a lengthy battle with cancer. She kept a smile of her face and her sense of humor until the end. Betty was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, mother-in-law, and friend, and she will be missed by her many friends and family. Betty was preceded in death by her parents (William and Jeanne), her brother (Robert) and two granddaughters (Christine and Sarah). There will be a family celebration of Betty’s life during the summer of 2027. Betty’s family would like to thank HIA Hospice (formerly known as Hospice of the Red River Valley) for their excellent care of Betty during the last two weeks of her life. Any memorials in Betty’s honor should be sent to HIA Hospice/Heather’s House in Fargo.