Betty Jane Smith, 80, of Roseville, Illinois, passed away at 1:04 p.m. Sunday, September 11, 2022 in her home.
In celebrating the life and times of Betty Smith there’s far more that can be said than what is found in a common obituary about such a kind and wonderful woman.
Betty grew up in the Good Hope area on a farm that had been in her family for over a century, and even though she would make her home and live her life on a farm in rural Roseville, she was proud to always declare herself a Good Hopian. She was a wealth of knowledge of the history of same for neighboring families and farms near and around her homestead.
Betty met Van in November of 1958 at a PTA square dance in Good Hope IL and it was the spark that would ignite a flame that would last for well over the next 60 years.
Betty was in the first class to graduate from the newly built Northwestern High School in May of 1960 and just 2 months later she and Van were married. Betty and Van celebrated 60 years of marriage on July 10th, 2020 before Van sadly passed away on Sep. 25th of that same year.
Their marriage truly stood the test of hardships, heartbreaks, strife and sorrow, but it also saw great happiness and the joys of bringing 5 daughters into the world, 2 of them by Betty alone while Van was serving his active duty in the Army Reserves. Linda, Sandra, Barb, Brenda & Trina, sadly losing Brenda at an early age was the heartbreak and sorrow Van and Betty survived through their love and devotion to one another, when one fell weak the other was strong.
Van & Betty were blessed by their 4 remaining daughters with 9 Grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren with another arriving soon. Betty loved her family deeply and enjoyed hearing the life stories of her daughters, as well as her Grandchildren, sharing in their sorrows and proud of their successes.
Betty was always the picture of decorum who showed by example how to act right, present yourself properly, and always be appropriate in every way. She was a wonderful example of how to always be kind and to never speak ill of another, even when they deserved it, and she could be a great mediator if called upon.
Betty wasn’t just a farm wife and devoted Mother, she also held down a job at the Lamoine Christian Nursing Home in Roseville as a housekeeper, a job she loved for 32 years before retiring. Betty was a ray of sunshine to all of the residents, always striving to bring a cheerful and uplifting bright spot to their day.
When Betty’s work day came to an end every day at the Nursing Home at 3PM, she’d rush home to assume her work on the farm to help Van, work they both loved and enjoyed. Betty could run a tractor in the field, haul grain to the elevator, take care of the stock, mow the yard, landscape the grounds, plant the flowers, tend to the garden and make sure the hummingbird feeder was full, plus assume the role of housewife, bottle washer, head cook, and Mom. Most of these things weren’t just work to her, many were considered as hobbies and things that brought her joy. Another would be her plat book collection which she delighted in drawing like a gun if the subject of land and farms were discussed or disputed.
Betty lived a full life, never shrinking from the duties of same, and we take comfort in knowing she’s pain free now and walking the streets of glory with all of her loved ones
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at the funeral home. Friends may call from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Memorials may be made to the Roseville Fire Department and Ambulance Service and left in the care of the funeral home. Wise Family Funeral Home, Roseville, is handling the arrangements.
