Leaving a Legacy of Love

BUD & BARBIE BETZ

When Barbie Betz was 17 and attending Stephens College near Saint Louis, Missouri, she met the love of her life, Charles Fredrick Betz, III, known to friends and family as Bud.

“I just adored him. He was a handsome, handsome man.” Barbie said. “We were at a pizza parlor and we were sitting down. I didn't see how tall he was. It was too late by then. I fell in love with him.”

According to Barbie, the difference between her 5’2” stature and Bud’s 6’5” frame may have looked awkward to others, but they had fun together.

“Bud’s family brought me to their family cottage on Lake Minocqua in 1957,” Barbie recalled. “Bud taught me how to water ski. The water was very cold, and at first I was terrified, but by the time I went home I had a wonderful appreciation of the Northwoods.”

One year later, when Barbie finished college, the couple was married. 

Barbie and Bud continued to visit the Minocqua area often. Their children David and Ann were introduced early to the Northwoods through family trips and later, individual time with their grandparents at their cabin. 

In 1978 they bought a place of their own on Lake Minocqua. Their cottage was just down the road from Bud’s family cabin.

EXCELLENT CARE AT HOWARD YOUNG MEDICAL CENTER

“The hospital was wonderful to us through the years. We had one thing after the other, and so did our kids. Our daughter got a fishbone in her throat so we went to urgent care. They got us right in,” Barbie said. “That was quite a comfort. It made us feel very good about being in the Northwoods and knowing that we'd be well cared for.”

Barbie was taken to the hospital for severe acid reflux which can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. Tests showed what the problem was and that her heart was OK. She was relieved, but didn’t have a way to get home. One of the many dedicated ambulance drivers gave her a ride. 

Bud was sick off and on for the past ten years. During a one year period he fell nine times. These falls sometimes resulted in trips to the hospital. After one fall, as a police officer drove them home, he offered to help day or night if it happened again and Barbie needed help getting Bud up.

“To say the care that we received from Howard Young Medical Center and the Minocqua community was outstanding is an understatement,” Barbie related. “Only in a small town would you hear about these acts of generosity.”  

IN BUD’S MEMORY - HELPING OTHERS THROUGH THE FOUNDATION

Bud suffered a stroke on May 10, 2019, at their home in California and passed away five days later. He was 85.

A friend, Judy Russell, asked Barbie what her Minocqua friends could do. She suggested that they could direct any donations to the Howard Young Foundation in Bud’s memory. Barbie decided to have all donations benefit the new Tick-Borne Illness Center of Excellence.

“I truly appreciate the hospital and the Foundation,” stated Barbie. “I’m especially excited about the new Tick-Borne Illness Center of Excellence. I had Lyme Disease myself and know that it is a big concern in the Northwoods.”

Barbie received many, many letters from the Foundation telling her that people gave to the Foundation in Bud’s memory.

“It was hundreds,” Barbie said. “I was stunned because I didn't know I knew that many people.”

The purpose of the Foundation is to seek and invest charitable support for Howard Young Medical Center and Ascension Eagle River Hospital. They are committed to advancing the healthcare of their communities. Funds received by the Foundation, including those donated in Bud’s memory, are used to transform and sustain healthcare in northern Wisconsin for generations to come.