By Steve Smith
My sweetheart Betty Lou McDonald returned to our Lord Sept. 6, 2012. She was born Oct. 15, 1934, in Nowata, Okla. She was the daughter of William Claude and Lily Mae Keller and sister to Jackie Lee Keller. Betty attended grade school in Coffeyville, Kan., and high school in Fredonia, Kan. After graduation from high school Betty was married to Jack L. McDonald on June 3, 1953. After beginning a family life she was a stay-at-home mom raising four children: Michael Lymon, Jeffrey Lynn, Susan Lea and John Patrick. After her father was killed in a car accident, she and Jack raised her brother Jackie Lee as their own child. Betty worked for several years in an emergency room of the Wichita hospital, helping doctors in many areas of treatment. She then worked for a private physician for a couple of years.
In February 1962 Betty and family moved to Thornton from Wichita. She continued to be a stay-at-home mom. The family then moved to Owensboro, Ky., for several years. After the family returned to the Denver area Betty attended the Emily Griffith School of Nursing and worked as an LPN. In 1977 she began her career in accounts payable for over 17 locations of the Crown Hill Cemetery.
Betty and Jack enjoyed several years of traveling to visit their grown children in various parts of the country. They lived in Rochester, Minn., and operated a durable medical equipment store before their final return to Colorado. They lived in Calhan for several years, then moved to Lochbuie, her last place of residence before her death. While living in Lochbuie she and Jack have enjoyed being with their grandchildren Stephanie, Elizabeth and husband Sean, Cody and wife Kay, Jennifer, Anna and Rachel and great grandchildren Taylor, Alexis and Hendrix.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents and son Michael.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Crown Hill Cemetery, 7777 W. 29th Ave., Wheat Ridge. Funeral services will be held at the same location at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15. There will be a brief reception following the funeral prior to interment at the Elbert Cemetery in Elbert. Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, www.donate.salvationarmyusa.org.
