Bethlene Faye Bilka, 89, passed away Monday, September 5, 2022 in Rapid City.  She was born November 6, 1932, the first of Bert and LaVerna Embree's six children.  She grew up on the family ranch near Long Valley, SD, and graduated valedictorian of the Class of 1950 from Kadoka High School.

On June 11, 1950, she was united in marriage to Emil Bilka.  They had two children, and the family lived in South Dakota and Wyoming.  Beth and Emil celebrated their 50 ^th anniversary in 2000, months before Emil passed away in September of that year.

Beth worked as a bookkeeper at Montana Dakota Utilities for over 20 years, retiring in 1994.  A faithful member of the First Presbyterian Church for decades, she served as a deacon, participated in PW Circle, sang in the choir, and helped with everything from dinners to rummage sales.

A woman of many hobbies, Beth loved to sing and was a past member of Guys and Gals singers.  She was an avid game player who enjoyed the daily Jumble, card and board games, and was a master of Scrabble and cribbage.  She liked to travel and had a sense of adventure, paragliding in Puerto Vallarta at age 80.  She crocheted baby blankets and embroidered dish towels.  Her true love was dancing: for years, she could be found every Saturday night gracing the dance floor at the Canyon Lake Senior Center, and even traveled to Las Vegas for a polka fest.  She liked to bake pies of all kinds, and her Christmas fudge and peanut brittle were legendary.

Above all, she treasured her family and many friends.  She was always there to lend a listening ear or a helping hand.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Emil, brother, Nordean Embree and sister, Maurine Linse.

She is survived by her daughter, Rosemary (Scott) Kaiser, Black Hawk; son, Stan, Rapid City; granddaughters, Kristen Bilka, Chicago, IL, Kim (Chuck) Benuska, Mountain Home, ID, and Kalli (Jason) Shipman, Rapid City; grandsons Brett Ingle and Bryan Ingle, both of Sturgis, and Ben Ingle, Tacoma, WA; sisters, Joanne Eiesland, Pringle, Karen (Dick) Rodgers, Lander, WY, Arvella (Roger) Kimball, Rapid City, Janet (Mike) Wilde, Wenachee, WA, and sister-in-law, Bonnie Dudley, Black Hawk, along with many cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family requests no flowers, but memorial donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital or Shriners Hospitals for Children.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, September 11, 2022 from 4 to 6 pm at Osheim and Schmidt Funeral Home, 2700 Jackson Blvd., Rapid City.   A funeral service will be on Monday, September 12 at 10:00 am at First Presbyterian Church, 710 Kansas City St., Rapid City with a luncheon to follow.   Graveside services will be Monday at 1:00 pm at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis.   Please visit the online guestbook for Bethlene at www.OsheimSchmidt.com