Elizabeth S. Humiston

Elizabeth "Beth" Stettler Humiston, 92, passed away on Tuesday, December 15, 2020, a victim of COVID-19. She was born September 19, 1928 in Belle Plaine, Iowa, to the late Herman and Frances Marion (Hines) Stettler. After graduating from Belle Plaine High School in 1946, Beth went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from The School of Design at Iowa State University.
It was while attending college that she met and married James E. "Jim" Humiston of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They raised their four boys in La Crosse, WI. Beth and Jim retired in 1990, to spend their summers in Fennimore, WI and their winters in Green Valley, AZ. In 2013, they moved full-time to the gentler winters of Deming, NM. Jim passed away there in 2014, and Beth returned to Fennimore to live her remaining days.
Beth was an exceptionally talented artist, with a special gift for watercolor painting and decorative gourd creations. She was also an avid genealogist who produced a rich legacy of family history. Her most extraordinary gift was her ability to make friends wherever she went. Beth was, in the words of one of her grandchildren, “the most loving and lovable” person – fun, funny, whimsical, and thoughtful. She was a force of nature, brimming with love and life for all of her 92 years. She was also a woman of deep faith, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Beth is survived by three of her four sons, Dr. Daniel (Karen) Humiston of Sheboygan, WI, Barry (Deborah) Humiston of Germantown, WI, and Thaddeus Humiston of New Mexico, her daughter-in-law Karen Humiston of Provo, UT, and her two sisters, Charlene Warren of Correctionville, IA and Ellen Leslie of San Diego, CA. She also leaves thirteen grandchildren, Elliot (Desiree), Elizabeth, Samuel, and Joseph Humiston, Spencer (Breckan), Courtney, Warren, Grace, and Emma Humiston, Hailey Highlen, Meredith (Tim) Buyeski, Jessica (Nick) Makowski, and Emily Mears, and eight great-grandchildren, Ames and Cormac Humiston, Delphine Humiston, Frances and Henry Highlen, and Charlotte, Harper, and Claire Makowski.
In addition to her parents and husband, Beth was preceded in death by her son Matthew Humiston, and her brothers-in-law John Warren, Richard Leslie, and Jack Humiston.
In view of the COVID 19 pandemic, Beth's family will not be holding formal service at this time. Beth will be buried alongside her husband at Fort Bayard National Cemetery in New Mexico. Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory in Lancaster is entrusted with her care.