Edythbelle Bettger

Edythbelle was born on September 28, 1927, in Oshkosh, Nebraska to Edward Turner and Lora Waid.

Edythbelle should have been a Colorado native, since the family’s roots were in Colorado, but her father was a migrant farmer, and the family was working in Nebraska when she and her twin sister Annabelle were born. From the time of her birth until her marriage to Geroge in 1946, the family lived in 30 different locations, but she always thought of her hometown as Fort Lupton, where the family spent most of their time prior to 1941.

Her marriage to George was meant to be. Edythbelle played the violin in the church orchestra. George’s father William was one of her orchestra mates. He told the family he had picked Edythbelle out as the woman George should marry. In early 1946, shortly after George’s return home from his WWII service in India, George and Edythbelle met for the first time at a church sponsored roller-skating party. The story we often heard was that George saw Edythbelle across the floor, went up to his sister Bernice, and said “that’s the girl I’m going to marry.” He then proceeded to skate to her and “accidentally” knock her down. Obviously, Edythbelle did not hold that against him, and they were married on June 27, 1946, within weeks of her graduation from Manual High School.

Raising four daughters was not an easy job. No wash and wear back then and the number of outfits (primarily dresses) were few. So Edythbelle spent most days washing and ironing. She often said she was ironing when all the big things in the world happened. When Kennedy was shot, she was in the basement, in front of her black and white TV ironing clothes. She was ironing in front of her color TV during the moon landing.

Saturdays meant washing and curling the hair of all four girls, and of course all four needed to have their hair groomed daily for school.

Edythbelle loved listening to the radio and her vinyl records. She made sure all her girls learned to play the piano and all sang in church and school choirs. When in high school, she and her sister both took piano lessons, and often played duets. Judy eventually took over Annabelle’s place on the piano bench. Edythbelle was never known to sing much, but she loved to hear her daughters sing together, especially gospel songs at church and at Christmas time around the piano.

When not doing laundry or cleaning house, Edythbelle was cooking. School lunches had to be prepared daily, and every supper consisted of meat, vegetables, potatoes, salad, and, of course, dessert. Her meals were always delicious – no need to tell you to clean your plate.

Additionally, when not doing housework, she was very involved in activities at the East Denver Church of God. George and Edythbelle sponsored the youth group for a number of years, and they were the greeters at the front door, making all who entered feel welcome. Edythbelle was the church secretary for many years. Duties included running off the weekly bulletin on the mimeograph machine.

And there was always time for family. Sunday dinners and holidays, fishing trips, picnics, and other special occasions.

She was ruthless when playing double solitaire on family fishing trips. And was known to use bribery to win the annual pajama contest.

Following the war, George found himself working with his father-in-law in the floor-sanding business. In 1953 he built their first home and must have discovered a love of construction. He went on to build numerous churches, nursing homes, apartments, and other buildings. As his business grew, he was unable to keep up with all the bookwork, and with the children mostly gone, Edythbelle took on the bookkeeping role for George’s businesses (no computers for her – she took such pride in the accuracy of her ledgers, and she could find any document within minutes of a request). She continued doing books for the ongoing businesses he established until she was 92.

In June of 1995, days after their 49th wedding anniversary, George died in an accident in Indian Hills shortly after calling her to tell her how anxious he was to get home to her.

Edythbelle had been George’s “princess,” and it was believed she would be helpless without him, but what a surprise when she stepped up and managed to take on so much of what he had previously done for her.

Always appearing younger than her actual age, her natural beauty was complemented by her skin care regime. From at least the late 1940s up until a week before her death, she cleaned and moisturized her face morning and night with Merle Norman products and still applied lipstick and eyebrow pencil on a regular basis including after cleaning her face each evening. She told everyone she wanted to look good if the president happened to stop by for a visit. And no gray hair for her. She was quite distressed when her daughters decided to go gray.

Starting in 2014, Edythbelle began to have serious health problems. From that time until her death, she experienced three occasions of spontaneous fractures in her back. Each seeming to be life-threatening events that left her unable to leave her bed for weeks at a time. Other health problems also plagued her but following each incident, as she told her family, “I refuse to give up” (we began to call her the Eveready Bunny). In 2021, the family was no longer able to provide the continuous care Edythbelle required, and 24-hour care givers were brought in to assist. Of course, she immediately won them all over. We’re not sure who benefited most from these arrangements – Edythbelle or her “Angels.” She taught them double solitaire and Scrabble (but rarely let them win). They watched TV game shows together, or they sat by her side while she worked her word puzzle books.

Edythbelle passed away Sunday, December 15, 2024, at Denver Hospice Inpatient Care Center in Denver.

Edythbelle outlived all her siblings and their spouses – Hugh (Margaret) and Roger (Helen) Turner and Annabelle (Don) Harper, her beloved Thompson cousins - Ray, Margie, Jim, Jack, Stanley, and Art, and her in-laws and their spouses – Esther (Harry) McDermott, Viola (Al) Carey, Bernice Gish, and Olive (George) Hamlin.

She is survived by and was loved dearly by: her four children – Judy (Tony) Wiese, Kathy (Dave) Carey, Diana Ellington, and Susan Bettger; six grandchildren and their spouses; eighteen great grandchildren (seven with spouses/partners); and four great-great grandchildren. When asked what her great-great grandchildren should call her, she replied, “just call me the greatest.” In case you lost count, there are 49 people in the family tree that includes Edythbelle and George.

Due to the holidays, the family has decided to have a private burial service, to be followed by a memorial service in January.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to recognize the amazing care Edythbelle received the last few years from Denver Hospice. Donations may be made in her memory at https://thedenverhospice.org/donation/