LIFE

Betty Hersman, 94

Iowa City Press-Citizen

Betty Ellen Hersman, 94, of West Branch, passed away at Mercy Hospital on August 30, 2014 after a sudden illness.

At Betty’s request, no services are planned. Private burial will be in the Oakview Cemetery in Albia. Memorials may be sent to your local animal shelter in honor of Betty. Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service is handling arrangements.

She was the daughter of Isabella A.(Sanderson) & John M. Stevenson & was born in Albia, Ia. on March 3, 1920. She attended local schools & in 1938 she graduated from Albia High School followed by Albia Junior College & correspondence courses from the University of Iowa. On 10-15-1942, Betty eloped with her long time sweetheart Vernon C. Hersman in Unionville, Missouri & were happily married for 55 years until his death.

The couple lived in New Orleans & Charleston while her husband was in the army during WWII, returning to Albia in 1945.

Betty was the mother of Jeffrey who died at birth & Gretchen born in 1950 & died of breast cancer in 2003.

In 1957 Betty & her family moved to Iowa City where she was an invoice auditor in the Purchasing Dept. at the U of I for 20 years until her retirement, to be her husbands caretaker.

After 27 years in Iowa City, the family moved to West Branch & Betty remained there until 2005, when she moved back to Iowa City to Legacy Senior Community & recently moved to Crestview Nursing & Rehab Center in West Branch.

She & her husband shared many hobbies including antique collecting & restoring. They were active members of many genealogy societies for over 30 years. Throughout their lives the family’s love for animals was shown by adopting & caring for a huge number of dogs & cats, many of which had been homeless & neglected.

Betty was an avid reader. She loved books, poetry & current events in the newspaper. She will be remembered as an outgoing person with a friendly smile & wearing her favorite red lipstick. But, most important was the love of her family, animals & her friends.

Betty was preceded in death by her mother & father, husband, Vernon, 2 children, Jeffrey & Gretchen, sister Marion G. Jeffries, nephew, John (Jack) Jeffries, brothers-in-law, John Hersman & Jack Jeffries and sister-in-law, Zola Hersman

Survivors include a nephew - Steven Jeffries & his wife Tammy, nieces, Diane Foster, Janis Breda, Julee Proctor, nephew, John Hersman and former neighbors, the Barb Feeney family

Thoughts may be shared at www.lensingfuneral.com.