“KEEPING IT REAL WITH RUDY B.”

Eulogy for Rudolph C. Betlach, December 28^th, 2004

Who is Rudy Betlach? He is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and most recently, a great grandfather who was born , raised and lived his entire life in Anoka. He is a natural born athlete who excelled in high school athletics and was voted most handsome of his senior class. ( A fact that we were reminded of again and again throughout our lives.) He also played basketball in the Navy for which he served three years.

He married our mom, Sherrill, in 1960 and they just celebrated their 44^th wedding anniversary on December 10^th. He became a father in 1961 (for the FIRST time) and became a police officer for the Anoka Police Department in 1965, a career that spanned 24 years until his retirement as Sargent in 1989.

Our Dad was a proud man in many ways. He was proud of his family. He loved to watch us “shaking it loose” on the dance floor and just got a kick out of watching his children interact. He was proud of his Naval and Police careers. He had a den that displayed pictures, trophies, badges and other mementoes. When he was able, his lawn was meticulously manicured. Bikes were not allowed on the grass let alone the birds he would chase away so they wouldn’t leave footprints on the lawn. He was extremely proud of his name. We felt sorry for every telemarketer that mispronounced it. He was proud of his “things”. He had many collections he proudly displayed such as beer signs, classic car models, and, most recently, ships. The big things such as boats and cars were even named and labeled.

Mom and Dad extended their home and hearts to a special person we consider a sister. Shari recalls the night Dad brought her to our home when she was 15 and assured her she was safe. She considered him her hero. Shari became a part of our family and lived with us for the rest of her childhood.

Dad wore the pants in the family....at least that’s what Mom let him think. Mom and Dad weathered many storms but, 44 years, 6 kids plus Shari, 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild later they remained strong and Dad let everyone know how Mom was his entire world.

Dad had many interests. There was a time in his life he would hunt pheasants with his dogs Sassy and Big Red, but his main recreational love was fishing in the summer and the winter. He made his own fish houses and even let his children help. He was a diehard fisherman at that. Rain or shine he would always go fishing. The same rule apparently, applied to golf. Our brother, Tony, recalls an afternoon of golfing during a downpour. It was raining so hard they couldn’t see 50 feet in front of them but they were still swinging at balls. It wasn’t all bad though, they had the whole course to themselves! Dad loved to work in his garage. He would be in that garage from morning until night refurbishing an old boat (either to keep or sell) or refinishing the woodwork on a piece of furniture. His garage was his haven, he would even paint the floor. The garage also became party central equipped with its own refrigerator and bar where many celebrations were held that are still talked about today.

Dad also loved music. Our Aunt Patty recalls memories of him playing the guitar and singing to her. In later years he did the same for his children. He would even choreograph hand gestures for us to act out some of his favorite songs by Conway Twitty and the Four Lads. Perhaps some of you were lucky enough to attend functions where we were forced to perform. Dad also enjoyed coaching his daughters softball teams for a few years.

Leo that he was, he lived his life like a lion. There was no sugar coating with Dad. He was always at the ready with his opinions whether you wanted them or not. He was who he was and didn’t pretend to be anything different. You either loved him or he thought you loved him. Quite frankly, he didn’t care either way but he did have a heart of gold and loved dogs and people and was particularly compassionate toward children. Many people would agree that he had charisma. He was also the king of one-liners, most of which cannot be repeated in the house of God. The one thing Dad enjoyed most in life was being with friends and family. Your visits to the house, your phone calls, your birthday and Christmas cards gave him so much joy and something to look forward to.

This is exactly how Dad would have wanted this day to be. To see all of you here, recalling the memories you once shared with him. He would not want you to grieve for long. He would want you to talk about him, remember him always and to celebrate the times you had together. We would also like to hear all the great stories of our father that we know are out there, please feel free to share them with us.

In closing, our Dad played many roles in life and he did it his way. He was a legend in his own mind and his neighbors considered him a legend so he obviously had them convinced. To all of us who loved him, he is a legend in our own private way.

Please visit the Betlach Family website: www.oocities.org/trish6978

Or Email me: Trish3185@tds.net