Betsy Rose Reif Obituary

Betsy Rose Reif, 72, of Saint Joseph, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at her home in Saint Joseph. She was born November 24, 1953 in Saint Joseph, MI to Dr. Robert and Rose (Nelson) Kerr.

The family will receive guests from 5pm until Rosary service at 6:30pm, Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., Saint Joseph. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11am, Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 220 Church St., Saint Joseph. Interment to follow at Riverview Cemetery, Saint Joseph. Memorial contributions may be given to the Illinois Railway Museum at www.irm.org.

Betsy had a unique joy for all things related to trains. She also enjoyed learning as much as she could at museums and was especially thrilled when the museum was centered around the railway! Betsy spent 25 years working at Roy H. Liskey Insurance before retirement. She was an avid listener of rock and roll, with the Foo Fighters and the Beatles being a few of her all-time favorites. She was also a talented artist – creating many joyful masterpieces from ink drawings to rock art. Betsy loved her God and devotedly prayed the Rosary every night with her rosary group. A social butterfly by nature, Betsy surrounded herself with a large community of friends and was a ray of sunshine to many, especially her family. We imagine Betsy is resting peacefully in Heaven, with the windows open, listening to the birds sing – as she always loved to do.

Betsy is survived by her daughters, Carrie (Robert) Bode, and Emily (Gregory) Arendt; her grandchildren, Samuel, and Zachariah Bode; and her sister, Julia (Phillip) Kerr-Wolf. She is preceded in death by her parents.