Betty Curtis

BETTY LOU CURTIS

Mechanicsville

Betty Lou Curtis, 76, of Mechanicsville, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, at Mechanicsville Speciality Care. Services: 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at United Church of Crawfordsville with Pastor Jason Collier officiating. Burial: Crawfordsville Cemetery with military rites. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Chapman Funeral Home, Clarence.

Survivors include her children, Deanna (Ted) Licht of Lowden, Cynthia (Don) Helms of Cedar Rapids and Nathaniel Curtis of Mount Vernon, Wash., and his ex-wife, Indira of Wylie, Texas; grandchildren, Brett, Jamie, Jewell, Amanda and Steven; and great-grandsons, Nova and Ezra.

She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, husband, Larry; a brother, sister, three brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law.

She was born March 16, 1939, in a relative's home in Sabetha, Kan., to Jacob Aaron and Arena Bartlett Lehman. Betty started first grade in a country school near Mercer, Kan. Her family moved to Bosworth, Mo., around 1948 where she grew up on a farm and later graduated from high school in 1957.

Upon graduation from high school, she entered the Women's Army Corps. She met her husband while serving in the U.S. Army and upon completion of her three years of duty, married Larry Carroll Curtis of Crawfordsville, Iowa. She received the Good Conduct Medal from the U.S. Army in 1977. She was an Army wife for 20 years and raised her two daughters and a son, sometimes alone while Larry was overseas in Korea and Vietnam. Home base when Larry was outside of the country was always Crawfordsville. They lived in Chicago and Waukegan, Ill.; Alexandria, Va.; and Satellite Beach, Fla. When Larry retired from the U.S. Army, the family moved back to Craw-fordsville.

Betty attended Southeastern Community College in Burlington and graduated with an associate's degree in business. She worked many jobs during her lifetime. She was an office secretary, a cook, a nursing home aide, home cleaner, saleswoman, detasseler and partner in her husband's tavern, Sarge's Tap, in New London, Iowa. She was also a homemaker.

A few years after Larry's passing, she moved to Lowden to be closer to family and semi-retired. She was a member of the Zion United Church of Christ and Women's Fellowship, the American Legion Auxiliary and life member of the Amvets in Lowden and VFW Auxiliary in New London. She attended many churches in her lifetime where she enjoyed teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir and helping with various church activities. She also enjoyed playing cards, bingo, sewing, volunteering for special events and occasions, baking and sharing tons of cookies at Christmas time with friends, family and the elderly in the neighborhoods.

Please direct online condolences to www.chapmanfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the United Church of Crawfordsville, Zion United Church of Christ or the Crawfordsville First Responders.