Betty Jean Tobin

Betty J. Tobin, 84, of Waukon, IA, died Sunday, July 22, 2012 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 26th at 1:00 pm at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon with Rev. Laura Odegard officiating. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery in Waukon. Friends may call from 11:00 am until time of services on Thursday at the funeral home.

Betty Jean Tobin was born September 1, 1927 in Frankville, IA, the daughter of James and Emma (Krogsund) Kneeskern. She attended Frankville Elementary School, graduated from Postville High School in 1944 and attended a semester at Luther College in Decorah, IA. On June 25, 1947 she married James Percival Normann. They were later divorced. Betty worked a as a bookkeeper for Figge's Garage in Ossian and for AAA. On June 22, 1957 she married Donald James "Red" Tobin in Preston, MN. She also worked for the North Iowa Sales Commission for over 20 years working at five sale barns a week in Northeast Iowa.

Betty was a volunteer at the Good Samaritan Center in Waukon where she played the piano. She enjoyed fishing, working crossword puzzles, following NASCAR especially Matt Kennseth, watching wheel of fortune and was an avid reader. Betty loved spending time with her family.


Survivors include her children, Jeanine Cogdill of Sideny, IA, James Normann, Inez (Daryl) Cooper, Patricia (Patrick) O'Neill all of Waukon, Lori (Stan) Johnson of Dayton Beach, FL, Mike (Judy) Tobin of Cedar Rapids, IA, Kathy (Kyle Stoen) Tobin of Waukon and Lynn (Tracy Blue) Steffans of Postville; 25 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Donald "Red" who died in 2006; a son, Donnie Tobin; a grandson, Gary Halverson; a sister, Inez Kneeskern and a son-in-law, Roger Steffans.


Honorary casketbearers are her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Casketbearers are Danny Halverson, Mike Normann, Jim Cooper, Ryan O'Neill, Dustin Tobin and Donald Tobin Jr.