Betty Jean Smith

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Betty Jean Smith, 89, of rural Champion, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2018 at Imperial Manor in Imperial, Nebraska.
Betty Jean (Morgan) Smith was born Aug. 23, 1929 in her grandparent’s (Samuel and Lottie Kaufman) house in Lincoln. She was the oldest of four children born to George and Iola Morgan.
Betty attended grades one through six in a one-room school house in Republic, Kansas, grades seven through 10 in Lincoln and grades 11 and 12 in Imperial graduating from Chase County High School in 1947.
She married Alfred Shield on Oct. 2, 1947.  Two children, Tom and Beverly, were born to this union. They made their home in Enders for eight years and then moved to Imperial where Betty worked at a tax office for two years and in the ASCS office for eight additional years.
On Dec. 1, 1967 Betty married Vilas Smith and they lived on a farm near Champion and for the next fifty years she enjoyed being a farmer’s wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Betty was active in Imperial’s Senior Center for 31 years, both serving on the board of directors and fixing food for events. She was a member of the VFW auxiliary in Imperial for 58 years. She was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Betty had a life-long love of cooking and was an excellent seamstress. She had a big heart for her family and, of course, her dogs and cats.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband Vilas, parents George and Iola Morgan, and sister Joann Bruntz.
She is survived by her son, Tom (Judy) Shield of Kearney; daughter Beverly (Pete) Snyder of Imperial; step-children Lloyd (Rhonda) Smith of Champion, Marla Smith of Imperial, Merle (Larry) Konken of Hershey, Maxine Smith of Cheyenne, Wyoming; sister Lois Silvester of Schuyler; brother George (Pat) Morgan of Helendale, California; 10 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018 at Zion Lutheran Church in Imperial with the Reverend David Kahle officiating. Interment was at Mount Hope Cemetery in Imperial.
Liewer Funeral Homes was in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Imperial Senior Center.

 

The Imperial Republican

308-882-4453 (Phone)

622 Broadway St

PO Box 727

Imperial, NE 69033