Bethane Sommers died at Amery Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at the age of 99 years. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. from First Lutheran Church in Amery. There will be a time of visitation for the hour prior to the service. Burial will be at the Amery Cemetery.

Bethane Lucretia Sommers was born on October 22, 1913 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Walter and Sadie King. When she was one year old her family moved and homesteaded in Montana. Three years later they moved to Amery, Wisconsin where her father was a barber until 1918. They moved to New Richmond, Wisconsin and Bethane attended grade school there. She returned to Amery to attend high school. She loved to play basketball and was a star player on the high school team in the 1930's. She graduated from Amery High School in 1932 and went to work for the Granum Insurance Agency as a secretary. She worked there for three years, during which time she met and fell in love with Leonard Sommers. They were married on August 18, 1935 and made their home on a farm on King's Lake. (Named after her father Walter King). While living there, first born son Walter James Sommers was born.
In 1942 they moved to another farm north of the Shiloh School. Besides being a homemaker she was very active as a 4-H leader. Their second son Robert was born while they lived on this farm. They purchased the property that had been the Amery Airport on County Road H in Volga. In 1951 they moved there and started farming that property. Bethane started a second hand store in one of the old office buildings. She ran the store along with raising a family and working out of the home. In 1952 a daughter Joy was born. Bethane stayed home to raise her children for a number of years, but then went back to working and being a farm wife.
Bethane was a real visionary and was always thinking about the future and what to do next in their lives. She became very interested in the art field and found college art professors to come and teach art classes at the farm. She continued to do this for many years as well as teaching some vo-tech art classes and taking some college art classes of her own. In 1962 she and Leonard purchased the St. Croix Floral. She loved floral arranging and making beautiful corsages. During that time she was one of the founders of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Palette Club and held many offices.
In 1968 they sold the Flower shop and she had a vision of starting a flea market, which was something she had read about. They proceeded to purchase the old Pea Vinery on Highway 8 and started the "Pea Pickin Flea Market". They worked very hard building up the market and operated it until 1988 when they sold it. She loved spending winters in Arizona, and she continued doing so until she was 90 years old. Bethane was very independent and lived alone until she reached the age of 98. Physical health forced her to move to the nursing home at that time. She stayed active as much as possible. She was always the happiest when she was busy doing something. Playing cards and spending time with family and friends was very important to her. She always loved a good party and was planning on Jim Armstrong playing for her 100th birthday. Bethane died at the Amery Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at the age of 99 years.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Leonard, sons: Walter and his wife Carol and Robert and his wife Gail, infant brother William Hoyt King. Left to celebrate her life is her daughter Joy (Richard) Olson; grandchildren Todd (Erla) Sommers, Tami (Maciek) Sommers, Chris (Sheri) Sommers, Craig (Jo) Sommers, Paige (Matt) Martinson, and Brooke (Joe) Wilcox; great grandchildren: Matt, Rosie, Adam, Brandon, Madison, Hannah, Nelson and Griffin. She also leaves other relatives and many friends.