Betty O'Brien

BETTY A. O'BRIEN

Iowa City

Betty A. O'Brien, 96, of Iowa City, passed away Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, at Atrium Village in Iowa City. Visitation will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Private burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City. Instead of food, flowers and plants, the family suggests memorials to Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wis., or Atrium Village in Hills, Iowa.

Betty was born May 1, 1925, in Iowa City, to Joseph and Matilda "Tillie" (Zingula) Rouner. She grew up on East Fairchild Street in the north Iowa City neighborhood of Goosetown. Betty was a 1943 graduate of Iowa City High School and worked at Piper's Candy Store in downtown Iowa City from 1943 until 1946.

Betty met her future husband, Tom O'Brien, who was then an usher at The Englert Theatre. The couple later married April 14, 1947, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Iowa City. Betty continued work as a bookkeeper at First National Bank in Iowa City until 1950.

She was one of the charter founders of Mercy Hospital's Mercy Guild, volunteering many hours from 1962 until 1977. Betty and Tom were lifetime members of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wis., where they volunteered with friends and other dedicated members, helping to operate the First Class dining car during special excursions at the railroad museum.

She very much enjoyed decorating her home for nearly every holiday throughout the year and cherished all of the family holiday dinners that she hosted over the years. Betty doted on her grandchildren when they were younger – treats, crafts, watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, making black cows and walking to Dan's Short Stop for lunch.

Betty enjoyed pretty much everything in her little corner of the world – coffee in the morning, the Food Channel, Big Bang Theory, The Golden Girls, Lawrence Welk, Antiques Roadshow, visiting with friends and neighbors, trips to the casinos and the fall road trips to Wisconsin with Peg.

Pretty easy to please, she loved to go for a spin in the car, however short or long that excursion was. Betty was always neatly dressed, make-up on, necklace and pin in place, Kleenex, purse and walker ready to roll and above all, a smile on her face. (and yes Mom, we shut the garage door.)

She is survived by her daughter, Peggy O'Brien of Iowa City; son, Mike O'Brien (Katherine) of Coralville; daughter-in-law, Nancy O'Brien of North Liberty; grandchildren, Brett Welander (Amy) of Tucson, Ariz., Chad Welander (Melissa) of Coralville, Colin O'Brien (Molly) and Macklin O'Brien (Ellen), all of North Liberty; great-grandchildren, Evan, Shea, Riley, Carson, Oliver, Felix and a new great-grandson on the way; and several nieces and nephews.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Tom Sr.; and a son, Tom Jr..

Betty's family wishes to thank Dr. Scott Eberly, the entire staff at Atrium Village in Hills, Kara, Betty's dedicated physical therapist and friend; and care-givers, Joan Barr, Sandy Reed and Joan Bristow, for their care and friendships with Betty.

To Mary and Lura, residents at Atrium Village, for their expertise and dedication to the flowers within the atrium, their conversations and greetings to Betty whenever she would visit the atrium. Special thanks to Bernice Smith and her daughter Bev Seaton, for the most recent outing to Riverside Casino – which we got in one more time!

Thoughts may be shared with the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.