BETTS, James

BETTS With heavy hearts and gentle relief, we said goodbye to our beloved husband, father, papa and friend, James Betts on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
With the exception of two winters when he attended SAIT, Jim spent his entire life in Coutts, living a short 7 miles from the original family homestead where he was born on July 6, 1937. While he was both a farmer and a rancher, his love was the land. He cultivated the earth with the same love that he created and cultivated his family.
If you were to ask Jim, he would tell you that he never met a person who had a better life than him. While life wasn’t always easy, it was filled with hard work, determination, generosity and kindness. He never met a stranger; anyone he met was a friend. And any person who drove or walked into the yard was invited in for coffee and lunch – saying no was never an option as Jim had a convincing personality.
Jim was tasked with running the family farm at the tender age of 12. His father was ill with dementia and being the eldest son, the responsibility fell on him to take over for his dad. In his 87 years, he never once complained about his lack of childhood. He took this role in stride, learning quickly to fix everything and anything. He had a special love of motors, a knack for numbers, and a passion for tractors. It wasn’t uncommon for a neighbor to bring over a broken piece of equipment for him to fix or weld. Even if Jim was busy, he would gladly stop whatever he was doing to help anyone who asked. He loved working in his quanset and if he wasn’t in the house or field, that’s where you’d find him: working or repairing something.
Jim instilled a love of family in all of us. While he wasn’t big on words, he expressed his love through his perseverance, dedication and hard work. He created the life he had always dreamed about. In 1968, his forever farm was purchased. This is where his children were raised and where he watched his grandchildren learn to love the land, play near the creek, and explore the coulees. He planted 11 miles of shelter belts to beautify the farm and to enrich and protect the wildlife. He got immense joy driving around the country to see the crops, check the cows, or visit the neighbors for a coffee. He remained on the home quarter until three days prior to his passing. This was his final wish.
Jim always took an active role in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Whether it was a sporting event, Christmas concert, dance recital or any other activity, he was always the biggest supporter. He loved to read and you could always find a book on or near him until his cataracts forced him to close that chapter. His legacy will carry on forever, reminding us to live a life of integrity, humility, and to serve others without expectation of return. He was truly a man of simple pleasures and immense faith.
Jim leaves behind his wife of 61 years, Helen, and his four children: Connie (Ron), Robin, Tammy, and Kathie (Cam). He also leaves behind the lights of his life, his four grandchildren: Mckenna, Teresca, Niklas and Jackson. Jim is survived by his brother, Ed, sister Marge, sister-in-law, Anne and brother-in-law, Frank (Pat).
There are no words to express how grateful we are for the love, and concern of all our family and friends before, during, and after his passing. We would like to give special thanks to dear friends, Carla and Tant, for being with us through the entirety of his illness. We also want to thank his incredible home care workers, Liz and Chrissy, for giving dad exceptional care the past few years. Your compassion and kindness meant the world to Jim, and to us. And to Sheanna, for guiding us and advocating for Jim though his illness with a helping hand and caring heart. To the entire staff at the Milk River Hospital, thank you for attending to dad in his final days, and for making a difficult time immensely better through your compassion and kindness.
At Jim’s request, no funeral service will be held. The family will be holding an informal luncheon for friends and family at a later date.
To send a condolence, please visit www.salmonandsons.ca