Elizabeth "Betty" Hetzel

Jennings

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

A celebration of Life Eternal for Elizabeth Louise (Betty) Schlesinger Hetzel, 89, will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, July 3, 2023 at Miguez Funeral Home in Jennings with Rev. Charles Miller, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Lake Charles, officiating.  Interment will follow at Raymond Methodist Cemetery, Raymond, LA.  Visitation will be observed at Miguez Funeral Home from 10:00 AM until time of service.  After a long and fruitful life, Mrs. Hetzel was called home to her Lord and Savior on July 1, 2023.

Mrs. Hetzel, born on February 18, 1934, was a member of the 1952 graduating class of Elton High School.  She then attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI, now ULL) as a Music major.  Betty married William Hetzel, Jr. on January 24, 1954.  Together, they farmed rice and cattle in Hathaway for more than 40 years.  Mrs. Hetzel, an avid reader, had a natural acumen for business.  She was the farm bookkeeper and business manager, making for a successful business partnership with her husband.

Early in their marriage, Mrs. Hetzel taught piano lessons in her home.  She was also a homemaker, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Betty was a good cook, and was well-known in the community for her homemade fruit and cream pies.  She loved to sew, and was a talented seamstress and tailor, constructing many of the clothes and costumes her daughters and grandchildren wore.  Betty believed in hard work, and she instilled that work ethic in her children.  Her kids jokingly told her on many occasions that she could have easily been a drill sergeant in the army, as she was quite expert at giving orders and making sure those orders were carried out!

Being an accomplished organist and pianist, she was the organist at her home parish, Immanuel Lutheran Church, for over 40 years. She was also the organist and pianist for many weddings and funerals of family and friends.

After retirement, Betty enjoyed taking trips with her husband to visit many friends and relatives across the country and Canada.  She also enjoyed traveling to watch her grandchildren rodeo at national events.

Mrs. Hetzel is survived by her loving husband of 69 years, William J. Hetzel, Jr.; 2 sons, Glen (Mindy) Hetzel and James Hetzel; 2 daughters, Martha (Mike) Robertson, and Mary Pollard; and one son-in-law, Howard Nugent, Jr.; 11 grandchildren, Joshua (Sara) Nugent, Andrew (Haley) Nugent, David Robertson, Greg (Jordan) Robertson, Elizabeth (Dillon) Robin, Julia (Bryan) Hornsby, Benjamin (Chelsea) Hetzel, Lacey (Rudy) Austin, Will (Hannah) Hetzel, Sarah Hetzel and Noah Hetzel; and 15 great grandchildren.  She is also survived by Dave and Arlene Heinen; Lauren Heinen, Anna (Bryan) Howard, William (Tina) Heinen, and McKinley (Jordan) Horaist; and the 4 Heinen grandchildren.  

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clyde and Dora Bruchhaus Schlesinger; her in-laws, William and Magloria Miller Hetzel; one sister, Margaret Ann Schlesinger; one daughter, Terri Lynn Hetzel Nugent; and one son-in-law, Butch Pollard.

Serving as pallbearers are Betty’s grandsons: Joshua Nugent, Benjamin Hetzel, David Robertson, Greg Robertson, Will Hetzel, William Heinen, Andrew Nugent, and Noah Hetzel.

The Hetzel family wishes to acknowledge and thank her kind and loving in-home care providers, as well as the staff of Christus Hospice and Palliative Care.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc., PO Box 5000, Yucaipa, CA  92399.