Betty Sabinish

Funeral services for Betty Jean Sabinish of Albert Lea, MN, will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, January 30, 2016 at the Bridge Community Baptist Church South (former First Baptist Church on Clark St). Pastor Clayton Balsley will officiate. Visitation will be held Friday evening from 4 until 7 PM at the Bonnerup Funeral Service and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Clarks Grove Cemetery. Betty died on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at St John's Lutheran Community in Albert Lea. She was 91 years of age. Betty was born March 9, 1924 the daughter of Lauritz P. and Emma (Jacobson) Carlsen. She was born on the family farm just south of the Clarks Grove Golf Course. She attended district 23 public school and graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1943. On September 15, 1946 she was united in marriage to Richard Sabinish Sr. at the First Baptist Church in Clarks Grove. Together they made their home in Freeborn County. Betty was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Albert Lea and had been employed at several area employers always improving her position including Ma's Café, Bachtle Bakery, Canton Café, Endres Tools, Aragon Café and Bar, Steiler's Café, The Wilson Company, Queens Products, Standard Truck Stop, Albert Lea Good Samaritan, Perkins, Cornick's Nursing Home and Naeve Hospital. Most of her jobs involved waitressing or cooking. Betty was a member of the DAV, American Legion and VFW Auxiliary, Twin Lakes Senior Center, Cancer Support Group and the Home Extension in her early years. She participated in the Freeborn County Relay For Life and was a 40 plus years cancer survivor. She volunteered at the Albert Lea Good Samaritan Center, the Salvation Army Food Pantry for 14 years and for over 20 years she rang bells for The Salvation Army. Betty really enjoyed the many hours she spent sitting next to the red kettle. She enjoyed feeding people, going out to eat with family and friends, crocheting afghans, Bingo, cards, cooking and the time spent with family and grandkids.
Betty is survived by her children; Jean Blazek of Burnsville, Richard Sabinish Jr., David and his wife Kathy Sabinish, daughter-in-law Carolyn (Rice) Sabinish, all of Albert Lea. She had five grandchildren; Natalie (Matthew) Anderson, Ryan Sabinish, Andrew Sabinish, Alison Sabinish Hertges and Derek Sabinish (Bridget Haugh). She was blessed with great grandchildren; Ben, Sam and Mia Anderson, Ryleigh and Stellah Sabinish and Jaxson Hertges. Also surviving are three sisters-in-law; Evelyn Carlson and JoAnn Carlsen of Albert Lea, MN, and Josephine Dent of Renton WA, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Richard in 1995, son-in-law Richard Blazek and brothers Ronald Carlson and Darrell Carlsen. Her family would like to thank the staff at St. John's for their kind and gentle care, Pastor Clayton Balsley and members of Bridge Community Church and The Salvation Army for all of the love and attention they gave her. Memorials preferred to the Bridge Community Church or the Albert Lea Salvation Army Food Pantry.