Bettye Ilene (Turnipseed) Schwartz

KEYSER, LONG, MESSENGER, ROBERTSON, TURNIPSEED, SCHWARTZ, WETRICH

Posted By: Gayle Van Dyke (email)
Date: 12/14/2013 at 17:20:45

Bettye Ilene (Turnipseed) Schwartz, 89, of Waco, passed away Friday, May 10, 2013. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Central Presbyterian Church in Waco. Interment will be held at a later date in Wassonville Cemetery in Daytonville, Iowa.

Bettye was born on July 7, 1923, in Wellman, Iowa, to the late Homer R. and LaVera Ada (Messenger) Turnipseed.

She graduated from Wellman High School and was united in marriage to Dean Joseph Schwartz, son of Frank and Ida A. (Wetrich) Schwartz,on Aug. 9, 1941, in Anamosa, Iowa.

They farmed for several years before moving to Wellman in 1952, where Bettye drove a school bus for a time. After that she ran a re-upholstery business for several years. Bettye and Dean helped organize the first Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops in Wellman, Iowa, and the first Red Cross swimming and lifesaving lessons in the area. Bettye was a member of the Order of Eastern Star.

After spending several years in Indianola, Iowa, they moved to Waco, and then near Gatesville, where Bettye worked for Medical Plastics Laboratories. She sang with the Sweet Adelines in Waco and directed and sang in the church choir.

After retiring, they moved back into Waco where she continued her painting and craft activities, including her Zippins and dimensional paper designs. Bettye was active in the Central Presbyterian Church and Harrison Senior Center.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dean, in 2011; a brother; and two sisters.

Bettye is survived by her daughters, Ronna Robertson and husband, Don, of Manhattan, Kan., and Susan Keyser and husband, Joe, of Buena Vista, Colo.; sons, Joel Schwartz, of Gatesville, and Jeff Schwartz and wife, Diane, of Joshua; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; brother, Dick Turnipseed and wife, Lorraine, of North Liberty, Iowa; sister, Clara Long, of Ottumwa, Iowa; other relatives and many friends.

Obituary appeared: Waco Tribune-Herald, May 14, 2013, page N12

Interment at Wassonville Cemetery: summer, 2013