Betty Jane (McCord) Zamora 1928 - 2021

MCCORD, ZAMORA, WILLETT, MAREAU

Posted By: Connie Swearingen- Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/27/2021 at 10:20:44

Betty Jane (McCord) Zamora, 92, of Albuquerque, New Mexico (formerly of Sloan, Iowa) passed away Friday, January 29, 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A Funeral Mass will be 10:30 A.M. Monday, February 8, 2021 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Salix Iowa with Father Michael Erpelding officiating. (Social distancing measures must be followed- Due to Covid-19 restrictions- Masks are required for the visitation and service.) Burial will be in the Sloan Cemetery, Sloan, Iowa. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service Monday, February 8, 2021 at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Service, Onawa, Iowa.

Betty was born September 25, 1928 to Roy and Pearl (Willett) McCord. She was raised in Sloan along with her seven siblings: Lucy, Evelyn, Harold “Mac”, Helen, Mary, Lee, and John. She was very close to her siblings throughout her life and they enjoyed many good times and vacations together over the years. Betty attended Sloan High School where she loved playing basketball and her team was conference champions for the 1945-1946 season.

Betty married Steven “Bud” Mareau on June 26, 1946 and together they raised eight children. She was a devoted housewife and lovingly cared for her family. She was an excellent cook and baker. There was never a dull moment in the Mareau house and the list of shenanigans is long. We cherish these wonderful memories of fun times together and the laughter of our rowdy bunch. In her free time, Betty loved to bowl and was able to call herself league champion a few times over the years.

In 1974, she moved to New Mexico with her second husband, Frank Zamora. Some of Betty’s children followed her to Albuquerque and it became a second home to our family. Betty continued her love of baking, but it was an adjustment to bake at high altitude – a few angel food cake pans met with a hammer after falling in the oven!

Betty’s grandchildren were her heart and joy. There’s no denying that her grandkids were the people she loved the most! She loved ALL kids and was called Grandma Betty by almost everyone she knew! She was always available to play games, give you a snack or a big hug & some extra love. She also had a special place in her heart for dogs and treated her dogs like royalty. She had a sign in her house that read, “Heaven – All the dogs you’ve ever loved will be waiting at the gate.” We can only imagine the greeting she received when she arrived! Simple things made Betty happy: an afternoon at the casino with friends, front porch duty with her dog, a good cookie, and a cup of hot tea.

Betty loved music and was always up for singing a good tune. Music was a steady and comforting part of her days after she lost her eyesight. She knew the words to many old rhymes, jingles and diddies, and was often caught singing a silly song. She also had many sayings that we like to call “Bettyisms.” They will remain part of our family history and will always evoke a laugh when one of us utters her famous words.

Survivors include her children, Cheryl (Albert) Eliason, Mike (Michele) Mareau, Linda Nordstrom, Pamela Dailey, Brian (Katie) Mareau, Teresa (Jerry) Gillespie, and Polly Shuck; grandchildren, Christine Nordstrom, Jason Black, Chad Nordstrom, Aaron Mareau, Colby Eliason, Sara Tcheshia, Jeremiah Shuck, Andrew Eliason, Jennifer Miller, Lindsay Mareau, Joey Dailey, Ryan Mareau, Laura Dailey, Katie Shuck, Kalyn Haafke, Kaycee Stevens, Jacquelyn Mareau, and Landen Mareau; many great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; sisters, Helen Martin of Sloan, Iowa and Mary Smith of Rogers, Arkansas; sister-in-law, Irene McCord of Onawa, Iowa; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Pearl (Willett) McCord; her husband, Frank Zamora; daughter, Rhonda Johnston; two sisters, Lucy and Evelyn; and three brothers, Mac, Lee, and John.

Condolences may be left online for the family at www.rushfamilycareservice.com