Elizabeth Shifflett (1926-2019)

SHIFFLETT, WITCHALL, CRESWICK

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 8/1/2019 at 11:05:20

Elizabeth "Betsey" Jane Shifflett, 92, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church on August 3 at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon. Burial will be in Linwood Cemetery.

Betsey was born in Dubuque, Iowa on July 15, 1926, the daughter of Sidney and Bertha (Witchall) Creswick. She graduated from Dubuque Senior High School and received her baccalaureate degree from the University of Dubuque in 1947. On October 28, 1951 she married John Sterling Shifflett at the University of Dubuque chapel. They spent 42 happy years together and were blessed with four children before John passed on January 27, 1993. Betsey was a social worker for four years before getting married. She obtained a teaching certificate in 1972 and taught mostly third grade for 18 years, including one year at Hoover Elementary School and 17 years at Lincoln Elementary School, the same place that she went to grade school.

Betsey was a lifelong member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and a longtime member of the choir. She also served as a Deacon and a Stephen Minister. She served on the board at Mt. Pleasant Home, volunteered at Finley Hospital, and was an active member of the National T.T.T. Society and P.E.O. International.

Betsey was the recipient of the Governor's Award for teaching English to students from other countries at N.I.C.C. She and her husband sponsored a family from Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Betsey was an avid Cubs fan. She played piano and was a talented artist. All of her children have her art hanging on their walls, and one of her paintings was used for the cover of the book "Homespun Iowa." She always enjoyed socializing with her many friends, particularly her "potluck group".

She loved going on vacation with her family, whether it was a road trip to Maryland, Nebraska, Texas or California to visit relatives, going to museums in Chicago, camping at Yellowstone, or traveling to the family cottage at Moose Lake, Wisconsin.

Betsey lived in Dubuque IA for 87 years altogether, including 20 years after the death of her beloved husband. In 2013 she moved to Missouri to live near son James and daughter-in-law Rose, and in 2016 she moved to Arizona to live in the home of son Peter and daughter-in-law Diane. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, relatives, co-workers and students, in all the places she has lived.

Betsey is preceded in death by her parents; her husband John; her son John; brothers Robert and Kenneth Creswick. She is survived by three sons: Peter (Diane) of Tucson, AZ; James (Rose) of St. Peters, MO; Andrew (Audrey) of Columbia, SC; and daughter-in-law Bethany Shifflett of San Jose, CA; granddaughters Elizabeth and Victoria; grandsons John and James; sisters-in-law Gayle Creswick and Esther Johnson.

Memorials may be given to the Westminster Presbyterian Church choir. Arrangements are entrusted to Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 JFK Rd., Dubuque.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com.