Betty Lou Grow

GROW, BROMWICH, TODD, MCCONNELL, JOHNK, SCHRAMM, POSPISIL, HOFELDT, STONE, KEY

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 8/22/2012 at 11:42:24

Betty Lou Grow, 84, Iowa City, IA, died of cancer on Sunday, August 19, 2012, in her daughter Susan’s home.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. September 1 (Saturday of Labor Day weekend) at the Congregational United Church of Christ of Iowa City, 30 N. Clinton St., with the Rev. William Lovin officiating. Family will be present at the church from 9:30 a.m. Another service and burial will take place in Yankton, SD, at a later date. Memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice, 1025 Wade Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 (www.iowacityhospice.org) or a charity of the giver’s choice.

Betty Lou was born April 10, 1928, in Winner, SD, to S. V. and Luva (Bromwich) Todd. She was a proud graduate of the Winner High School Class of 1946. She earned a two-year teaching degree at Yankton College, Yankton, SD, where she met Roger D. Grow. They married in Winner on August 7, 1948. After a year in Los Angeles, they moved back to the Midwest and lived in various communities in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa.

Betty worked as a secretary in church, law, and insurance offices, and even at an airport. She was an excellent detail person, good with numbers, and a superb typist. At the same time, she was creative in many ways – various forms of needlework, quilling, sketching, writing – but, most of all, she was a musician. She began taking piano lessons when she was six and organ lessons in college. She taught countless piano and organ students, sang in or directed or accompanied junior, adult, and civic choirs, and accompanied vocal and instrumental students, soloists, groups, and musical theatre everywhere she lived. Betty also was organist in many churches and then continued playing the piano during her years at Walden Place Senior Independent Living Community, Iowa City.

Betty loved her cats, playing cards, reading, television, crossword puzzles, travel, and visiting. She could strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere.

She is survived by four children: Kathy Grow, Yankton, SD; Susan McConnell, Iowa City, IA; Carol Johnk, Coralville, IA; Roger (Cairn) Grow, Duxbury, VT; six grandchildren and two great-grandsons: Kelly McConnell, Iowa City, IA; Tim (Molly) McConnell, Will, and Tucker, Polk City, IA; Rev. Elissa Johnk, Montpelier, VT; Chellis Grow, Casselberry, FL; Emerson Grow, Coralville, IA; Lincoln Grow, Coralville, IA; special friends: Lea Ann Schramm (her “tall daughter”), Yankton, SD; Keith and Marnie Grow Johnk, Coralville, IA; Thomas W. McConnell, Norfolk, NE; three nieces (on her side of the family): Mary Pospisil, Spirit Lake, IA; Jo Ann Hofeldt, Millboro, SD; Jackie Stone, Winner, SD; her Walden Place friends; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

She was preceded in death by her husband on January 23, 2007; her parents; her sister, Kay Todd (1941-1948); her half-sister, Roberta Key; her nephew, Robert Key; and many other treasured members of her extended family.