Betty Jean (Stanley) Bird (2013)
BABER, BAUER, BIRD, BURKINS, GRASTY, HITSMAN, MCCLAIN, RYAN, STANLEY, THIGPEN, WEEKS
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 7/20/2014 at 11:21:30
Hamiltons Funeral Home
Des Moines, Iowa
Tuesday, October 29, 2013BETTY JEAN BIRD,
Betty passed away with her family at her side on October 26th at Rivers Bend Retirement Community in Kuttawa, Kentucky, where she was lovingly cared for over the past year. She was 80 years old.
Betty was born in Earlham, Iowa, to Goldie Estel Stanley (Hitsman) and Wayne Stanley. She was the basketball star of Earlham High School and the 1950 Homecoming Queen. She moved to Des Moines, Iowa, after high school and worked at Meredith Publishing where she met Lee, whom she married in 1953. They lived there many years and had four daughters before moving to Effingham, Illinois. Betty became an active member of the community through Newcomers and other organizations. When she and Lee moved to Dyersburg, Tennessee, Betty and her daughter, Jeanne, opened “Sew Many Ideas” quilting and sewing machine store where she excelled at inspiring would-be quilters by teaching a range of quilting classes. Love of sailing brought Betty and Lee to Grand Rivers where Betty’s personality and warmth helped to grow the social aspect of the Kentucky Lake Sailing Club. Betty and Lee “retired” in Kuttawa, Kentucky, where they opened the Harbor House Bed and Breakfast after painstakingly refurbishing and redecorating it with the help of family and friends. We knew she did this so there would be ample room for her family and friends to stay and everyone was always welcome.
Betty was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Her greatest pride came from being a mother and homemaker. She also created beautiful quilts and whimsical crafts, loved to bowl and roller skate, enjoyed cooking and baking – namely her legendary monster cookies, and became skilled at manning the helm on her and Lee’s sailboat, although she couldn’t even swim.
Betty embraced life and touched innumerable people. She was a Camp Fire Girl and Girl Scout leader for each one of her daughters over the course of 20 years – sometimes having two groups at a time. Forever gracious, she welcomed friends to the Bird home for holiday dinners, neighborhood get-togethers, cookouts, and many other gatherings. She loved to have fun and make people laugh. Everyone who knew her has a “Betty Bird” story to tell.
We will always love you “a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!”
She is loved and remembered by her husband of 60 years – Lee Bird; daughters – Janet Bird (Philip Weeks), Jeanne Bird (Mike Ryan), Jackie Bird Bauer (Mike), and Julie Bird; grandchildren – Emilee McClain (Jonathan Burkins), Will Bauer, and Anna Bauer. She is also survived by her sister – Dee (John) Thigpen; brothers – Chuck Stanley, Richard (Phyllis) Grasty, and Larry (Nina) Hitsman; sister-in-law – Joy Baber; as well as many wonderful nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Kentucky visitation will be held at Lakeland Funeral Home, 1133 US 62, Eddyville, Kentucky, on Sunday, October 27 from 2 - 4 pm.
Des Moines visitation will be held at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, 5400 SW 9th Street, on Tuesday, October 29, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a service to begin at 6:00 p.m. Interment will be on Wednesday, October 30, at 10:00 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Gardens, 7601 Fleur Drive.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Rivers Bend Retirement Community, 300 Beech Street, Kuttawa, KY 42055, or to Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Camp Fire USA Miss Suz Campership, 1915 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309.
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