Betty-Jean Bisson

Betty-Jean (Hayward) Bisson was born September 7, 1941 in Calais, Maine. Being the oldest of seven children, she helped raise her six siblings. After high school, she attended one year of business school in Canada. In 1963, she went on a double date with a dashing young man named Lyle, who was serving in the Air Force and was stationed in the Calais area. They soon fell in love, but eventually had to say goodbye when Lyle was transferred. As Lyle was driving out of town, thinking he would never see Betty-Jean again, he got a flat tire. While changing the tire, he realized that he needed to go back for his beautiful Betty-Jean because he could not bear to leave without her by his side. When she returned home from work that day, there was Lyle. He had packed her belongings, and the very next day, they left for what would end up being a life-time of adventures together. He took her to meet his parents, who lived on the Bisson family farm in Ingram, Wisconsin. They were married August 31, 1963. Betty-Jean stayed in Wisconsin with Lyle's parents when Lyle first ventured into Minneapolis to seek employment. After securing a job with the US Postal Service, Lyle and Betty-Jean moved into a rental in Minneapolis. Their daughter, Lorna, was born in 1964. In 1971, they moved into a cozy home on Lyndale Ave, where they lived happily together until Betty-Jean was called home into the arms of Jesus on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Betty-Jean developed an interest in quilting in the 1980's, and became a very accomplished quilter over the years. She was mostly self-taught, but she was always happy to pass her expertise along, free of charge, to anyone who was interested in learning the art of quilting. Through her combined love of quilting and talking, she met several life-long friends. She made many beautiful quilts over the years, and she greatly enjoyed showing her quilts to others while sharing the story behind each quilt. For many years, she had an annual open house before Christmas. She also had a sign up year-round in the front yard, and was thrilled when complete strangers would stop by to look at her quilts, hire her to make a quilt, or buy one of her quilts. Even when her mind and body started to more rapidly fail her in 2025, which led to a diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy over the summer, her passion for quilting did not fade. She continued to work on a quilting project almost right up until the very end. Betty-Jean's other passions in life included cats, Neil Diamond (she loved showing off her Neil Diamond quilt), shopping for quilting supplies, talking to friends old and new, and road trips with Lyle and the family cat to visit family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, one sister, and several beloved cats. She is survived by husband Lyle; daughter Lorna (Bill) Levine; granddaughters Mara and Ilana; sisters Karel, Marcia, and Debbie; special friend Loretta Manula; as well as many other friends and relatives. Lyle and Betty-Jean were both very appreciative of their close friend, Loretta, who showed so much love, support, and advocacy, especially during the past year for everything from hospital and rehab stays to hospice care and beyond. A Memorial Service will be held at Prentice First Baptist Church, 757 Cherry Street, Prentice, WI on May 30, 2026 at 1pm, with visitation from 12pm-1pm. www.washburn-mcreavy.com Nokomis Park Chapel 612-721-1651

Tributes

Betty-Jean Bisson

September 7, 1941 - March 8, 2026

Tributes

Betty-Jean Bisson

September 7, 1941 - March 8, 2026

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