Elizabeth “Betty” Topf, 82, formerly of Dubuque, Iowa, died Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at St. Camillus Memory Care in Wauwatosa.

A prayer service and time of sharing will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, December 28, 2025 at Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home & Crematory followed by visitation until 5:00 pm.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Betty will be at 10:30 am on Monday, December 29, 2025, at Church of the Nativity with Father Stephen Audu as the Celebrant. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West.

Born June 4th,1943 in Decorah, Iowa daughter of Freda (Heying) and Florian Buchheit of Ossian, Iowa. She married Mark Topf on June 17th,1972 at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Dubuque, Iowa. He preceded her in death on September 4, 2020. Betty received her college degree from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. She taught at St. Joseph the Worker, Beckman High School, Nativity, and Mazzuchelli Middle School until her retirement.

She had a tremendous love for her family, with special love for her grandkids. She always celebrated holidays with special meals, gifts and games. Friends were very important to her and they would talk for hours over lunch. Betty loved her career of teaching middle school aged students. She always said,“They were the best!”

While at Nativity, she was instrumental in getting Mock Trial started in Dubuque and always had a team or two ready for State competition. One of her greatest joys was to write and produce plays with her 7th and 8th grade students as an end of the year gift to the younger students.

During her summers, Betty wrote middle school lesson plans for three religious textbooks published by Brown Roa. She also did supplemental writing ideas for reading textbook teacher manuals. Along with three other women, she helped begin the “Grieving Teachers Support Group” designed to help teachers who experience the loss of a student.

Betty had a full life. She deeply loved her Catholic faith- she loved her family and friends- loved to teach- loved to write- loved sports and was an avid fan of Wahlert sports, the Cubs, and the Hawkeyes.

Her goal in life was to live out the words of poet Emily Dickinson, “If I can help one fainting robin unto his nest, I shall not have lived in vain.”

Those here to honor her memory include three daughters, Michelle (Joe Tustin) Topf of Denver, CO, Jennifer (Rick) Meyers of Milwaukee, WI, and Kelly (Benjamin) Johnson of Golden, CO; four grandchildren, Jack and Gabriel Meyers, and Aiden and Mia Johnson; three sisters, Toni Strey, Pat (Bob) Eldan, and Jeanne (George) Lucero; one brother, Joe (Linda) Buchheit; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents and husband, Betty was preceded in death by five brothers, Sonny, Ambrose, Kelly, Del, and Harry Buchheit; one sister, Pam Buchheit; and two sisters-in-law, Colette Buchheit and Helen Buchheit.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Betty’s honor.

A photo tribute can be viewed and condolences sent to the family by visiting Betty’s obituary at www.hskfhcares.com.