Emma (Betz) Korbel

Emma (Betz) Korbel, age 94, went to be with her husband John and the Lord, on April 27, 2023, at Glenhaven Care Facility. With the help of St. Croix Hospice Emma passed with dignity. Her children were at her side.

Emma was born on March 22, 1929, in Langendiebach Germany. While John Korbel was serving in the US Army in 1945 as a Military Policeman during World War II, she met him and they were married on January 24, 1948, in Ruckingen Germany. She was married to John for 69 years when he passed away in 2017.

Emma and John left Germany shortly after they were married. Heading to the United States, their honeymoon was spent on a large military troop carrier which had separate living quarters for men and women. After they arrived in the United States, they setup their first residence with George and Mary Korbel in Wisconsin. Eventually relocating to Minneapolis, she worked as a nurse’s aide at Fairview hospital. During this time, their first daughter (Ellen) was born.

John’s love of farming found Emma back on a farm in the Slovak Valley. Thirteen months later their son, Alvin was born. Then a farm on Q north of Connorsville was purchased. Hard-working Emma helped with many chores such as cleaning the barn, feeding the calves and cows and of course washing the milking buckets.

When farming would not support itself, she took a housekeeping position at the “Curtis Hotel” in Minneapolis during the week. Her sister Mina helped her obtain the position. Emma stayed with her sister until she came home to the farm for the weekend. She would cook and freeze food for her husband and children (Ellen, Alvin) for the week since Ellen was such a terrible cook. Also, she would wash clothes and clean the house. After a few years she resigned from the hotel position and returned to the demanding work of farming. You could find her in the silo chipping silage away from the frozen walls. Her third child (Lisa) was born on October 18, 1965. 

In the 70’s Emma and John moved to Golden Valley, MN where John worked at Tennant and Emma worked cleaning offices for Deltak. After retirement they moved to Menomonie, WI. She enjoyed walking with her neighbor, Shirley, and granddaughter-in-law, Tracy. She kept her house so clean you could eat off the floor. Just as her house in Germany was beautiful her home in Menomonie was as well. 

Later in life, as aging began to take its toll, a home care agency, Angels, cared for Emma and John in their Menomonie home. After John was admitted to Glenhaven care facility, Emma followed her husband and made Glenhaven her home until her death. At the care facility, Emma continued her love of bird watching and perusing magazines. Her beauty carried with her into her old age and was made evident when in September 2017 the residents of Glenhaven voted her as Rustic Days Queen. She had so much fun with her daughter, Ellen, throwing out candy to the children along the parade route. Emma would partake in all the fun activities at Glenhaven, such as the St. Croix fair, Bingo, and was always ready for her manicure.

She will be sadly missed by her children, Ellen Carlson (late Alan) of Boyceville, Alvin (Linda) Korbel of Richlands, NC, and Lisa Holcomb (Tyler Schutjer) of Draper, UT; grandchildren Scott (Tracy) and Carla (Tom); Alvin Jr. (Liberty), Laura (Corey); Whitney (Trevor), and Jared. Emma was blessed to have seven great-grandchildren, Parker, McKenzie, Henry, Jalen, Micah, Oliver, and Odin.

She was proceeded in death by her husband, John; her parents Wilhelm and Anna Dorothea Betz. Emma was the last surviving children of a large German family. 

Funeral Services will be at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2023 at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie, WI with Pastor Brad Peterson officiating. Burial will take place at Tiffany Cemetery in Boyceville. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Her family thanks all the staff at Glenhaven for their great and loving care. We really do not know what we would have done without you.

In lieu of flowers please send donations in Emma’s name to Glenhaven, Glenwood City.

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.olsonfuneral.com