Bettye Peterson Mcclain

Bettye Peterson McClain, age 103, of Edina, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2025, at her son’s residence in Maiden Rock.

Bettye was born on June 26, 1921, at Deaconess Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Grady and Beatrice (Brown) Tucker. She was raised in Minneapolis, where she attended elementary school before graduating from West High School. Bettye was proud to further her education, earning a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College. In 1941, she married Clark Stanton Peterson in Marysville, Washington. The couple made their home in Minnesota and were blessed with four children: Gary, Betsy, Scott, and Holly. Bettye was a devoted stay-at-home mother who cherished time with her family.

On June 16, 1965, tragedy struck when the family was involved in a devastating car accident while on vacation in Pennsylvania. Her husband Clark and three of their children, Betsy, Scott, and Holly, lost their lives. Bettye herself sustained severe injuries, requiring 26 operations. Despite unimaginable physical and emotional pain, she persevered—not just to survive but to be there for her surviving son, Gary, who desperately needed his mother’s love and support. After a long period of healing and recovery, Bettye found love and companionship again. In 1967, she married William McClain, a widower, at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina. Together, they created a blended family filled with love, support, and shared affection. Bettye continued her role as a dedicated homemaker, helping to raise their children while living in Edina throughout their marriage.

Bettye was a proud member of the PEO Women’s Club, an organization dedicated to promoting education and opportunities for women. She also enjoyed her time working with ManaMore’, an organization of artists started by the renowned work of Anita Beck. A passionate reader, she took great pride in establishing and supporting the church library at Normandale Lutheran. She was actively involved with the Campfire Girls of America and found joy in quiet afternoons spent knitting and doing needlepoint—crafts she could complete purely from memory without needing a pattern.

Bettye was a determined, proud, and well-versed woman whose 103 years of life saw more hardship than anyone should have to endure. Yet, through her persistence, endurance, and tenacity, she overcame life’s adversities, becoming a testament to strength and an inspiration to all who knew her.
Bettye’s memory will live on in the hearts of her son, Gary (Jennifer) Peterson of Maiden Rock; grandchildren Phoebe (Steve Swanson) Krejci, Grady (Michelle) Peterson, and Betsy (Julian) Lang; great-grandchildren Cleo, Graham, Aaron, Eddie, Elliot, August, and Teddy; stepchildren John (Sharon) McClain, Molly (Mike) Wyss, and Peggy (Brian) Furlong; and step-grandchildren Molly, Katie, Mike, Shannon, Breanna, Willy, Hannah, Erin, and Hailey. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Clark Peterson and William McClain; her children, Betsy, Scott, and Holly; her sister, Dorothy (Robert) Osborne; and stepchildren Bill Jr. and Patrick McClain.

A Funeral Service for Bettye Peterson McClain will be held at 11 AM on Friday, February 7, at Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Road in Edina. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday morning. Memorials are preferred at the discretion of the family. Burial will follow at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Services are entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ellsworth, for further details please see www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com, or give us a call at 715-273-4421.