Betty J. Carnes was born August 16, 1940 in Charles Mix County, South Dakota to Ed and Rachel (French) Stimpson. She died April 20, 2019 at Bethesda of Beresford in Beresford, SD at the age of 78 years, eight months and four days.

Betty was raised and educated in Wagner, SD. While she was getting her teaching degree from Southern State Teachers College in Springfield, SD she met her future husband, Curtiss Carnes. They were married August 15, 1959. Betty started her teaching career in country schools then stayed at home while raising her three children, Tami, Steve and Jeff. On evenings she would work at Custom Coils in Alcester. Once they were of school age, Betty got her bachelor's degree and worked at Woodfield Center in Beresford from August 1991 until her retirement in 2003, before that she was a tutor coordinator for Indian Ed in Sioux Falls Title IV.

Betty was very proud of her Native American background and loved to listen to the serene sounds of the native music. She had a green thumb and a true love for her gardening. You never saw a weed growing in it. Flowers and birds were also a huge part of her life with tulips and hummingbirds being a few of her favorites. She loved to cook and sew and to sit on the back patio sipping her coffee or tea just enjoying nature. She was always happy to spend time with her eight grandchildren whom she cherished dearly.

Preceding her in death are her husband, Curtiss; an infant daughter, her parents, Ed and Rachel (French) Stimpson; her two sisters, Rochelle Smith and Victoria Remington; in-laws, Loyal and Irene Carnes; and Curt's siblings, Pauline, Fred, Doug, and Mark.

She is survived by her daughter, Tamela Carnes of Vermillion, SD; two sons, Steven (Holly) Carnes of Tea, SD and Jeffrey (Michelle) Carnes of Beresford, SD; her grandchildren, William Carnes of Omaha, NE, Dustin Carnes and fiancé, Rachael West of Sioux Falls, Rachel Carnes of Tea SD, Megan Carnes of Minot, ND, Aurora Carnes and fiancé Caleb VanSickle of Vienna, SD, Kerri Kwilinski of Vermillion, SD, Benjamin Carnes of Tea SD and Field Carnes of Beresford SD; great-niece and nephew, Keenan and Rayne Remington Tea SD; her brother, Ed (Della) Stimpson of Wagner SD; brother and sisters in-law, Larry and Marlys (Carnes) Lubash and Carol Carnes and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 2:00PM Saturday, April 27, 2019 at the Beresford Zion United Methodist Church. Visitation will be 4-8PM Friday, April 26 ^th at Wass Funeral Home in Beresford with the family present from 5-7PM.