Bess "B.G." Arbuckle

Bess “B.G.” Arbuckle, age 89 of Belle Fourche, died Tuesday April 21, 2015 at the David M. Dorsett Healthcare Center in Spearfish. A memorial service will be held 10:30 am Thursday April 30th, 2015 at St. James Episcopal Church in Belle Fourche. There will be no visitation. Inurnment will take place in Black Hills National Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are with Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Bess “B.G.” Weyler was born September 29, 1925 in Mitchell, South Dakota. She was the daughter of Laurence and Irma (Graves) Weyler. Bess grew up in Kansas and Custer and later in Belle Fourche where she graduated from high school. Bess was an educated woman in several fields. She attended college at Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell. Later she received her teaching degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Kansas University. In 1970 she graduated with at Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Montana in Missoula. Bess taught school in Pocatello Idaho, Belle Fourche, and Black Hills State University. For many years she was a Psychologist for the Belle Fourche school district. She was married to George Melvin Erickson. To this union two daughters were born: Bess Norma and Laura. The couple later divorce. In the early 1970's, B.G. was married to George Arbuckle. He died in 1994. Bess was a very active woman. In her younger years, she was a member of the Mounted Quadrille Team that performed at the Black Hills Roundup for several years. Bess loved the Black Hills Roundup and never missed a rodeo. She was a member of Job’s Daughters, Daughters of the Nile, PEO, St. James Episcopal Church, and the Crisis Line in town. She enjoyed quilting as well. Bess was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and she will be missed greatly. Bess is survived by her daughters, Bess Norma (Lee Burger) Johnson of Heber AZ; Laura (Phil) McNally of Belle Fourche; 3 grandchildren, Stephen (Jenna) Johnson, Alisha, and Ryan McNally; and great grandson, C.J. Johnson.