Betty J. Beaty, 92, of Clinton, Missouri died Saturday, April 23, 2016 at St. Luke’s Hospice House in Kansas City, MO.
Betty was born on a farm 2.5 miles east of Blairstown, MO, August 13, 1923. Weighing in at a mere 2 pounds and 6 ounces, she caused quite a stir in the community, and was a surprise to her parents, Oscar T. and Alice May (Albin) Ward.
Betty walked one mile through pastures and woods to first grade at Compromise School. For the next 11 years, she rode her beloved horses to school. She graduated from Blairstown High School in 1941. After high school, she went to work at Farmer’s Bank of Blairstown, followed by a year at Trader’s National Bank in Kansas City. She left her employment at the bank to marry James S. Beaty, January 19, 1947.
Jim and Betty’s first home together was in Petersburg, MO. The family moved to the J.C. Beaty and Son farm in 1963 to manage a successful ranching operation. She loved the ranch and being involved in the cattle business. Jim died in 2002, but Betty lived at the ranch until 2010, when she moved to Clinton.
Betty was always actively engaged in the community. She served as 4-H Community Leader when her children were young, was a dedicated, lifelong volunteer for the Red Cross, and a Democrat judge for countless elections in Henry County, MO. She was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton and was a 40 year member of Udolpha Miller Dorman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Betty was a faithful volunteer at the Henry County Museum, where she loved doing research in the genealogy department. One of her greatest joys was the time she spent with her “Tuesday Museum Girls”.
Betty shared regular lunches and fond memories with her sister-in-law, Lola Beaty. She described the times that she spent with her three children as the most fun times in her life. Betty was loved by countless friends who adopted her as their “second mom”.
Betty was preceded in death by her mother and father, her husband, and her four siblings, Forrest Tubbesing, Irene Wehmeyer, Elva Ruth McIntire, and Orval Ward.
She leaves behind her children, Jean Moore and her husband Rick of Gladstone, MO., Lewis S. Beaty and his wife Susan of Fulton, MO., and Jo Ann Oakman of Kansas City, MO., five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; nephews and nieces; and treasured friends and neighbors.
Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 28, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton. The family invites friends to join them for refreshments in the Church Fellowship Hall following the service. Interment will be in Carpenter Cemetery, Chilhowee, MO. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to the Henry County Museum, Carpenter Cemetery, or the First Presbyterian Church of Clinton. These donations may be left in care of the Bradley & Hadley Funeral Home, Clinton. Condolences may be left online at www.bradleyhadley.com.