Betsy C. Esslinger

Betsy Esslinger, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother is survived by her eldest daughter, Kimberly Evans and her husband, Dennis; her eldest son, Timothy Esslinger, and her youngest daughter, Jennifer Cruze and her husband, Dennis. Both her son, Keith Esslinger, and her husband of 56 years, David Roy Esslinger preceded her in death. Additionally, she is survived by nine grandchildren: Jason Karbach, Amy Jewell, Maxwell Appel, Nathaniel Cruze, Miranda Cruze, Samantha Morrison, Aaron Esslinger, Haley Esslinger, and Nikki Rios. Along with nine great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Michael Reece and his wife, Pat.

Betsy was born in Bonham, Texas and graduated from Bonham High School. She married David Roy Esslinger in 1955 and they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she was employed as a civilian employee at Kirtland Air Force Base. Betsy loved the desert southwest, the Grand Canyon, and animals- she especially loved dogs. There was not a time when Betsy did not have at least one dog. Betsy and David returned to Texas after he left the Air Force. Betsy was a dedicated wife and mother and returned to school once all the children were in school themselves. Betsy studied real estate and became a real estate agent. Eventually, Betsy’s entrepreneurial spirit surfaced and she started her own real estate company, All About Apartments, in the 1980s in Hurst, Texas. Her company would help locate apartments for clients. She also had a retail wallpaper store on Pipeline Road in Hurst.

Betsy was also a great cook. She was known for her homemade rolls and cornbread stuffing she made only at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her entire kitchen and back room was filled with cookie sheets of rising rolls when family and guests started arriving. The heavenly smell that filled the air once they began to cook meant it was almost mealtime, and many a family member was overcome by temptation and snuck into the kitchen to grab a hot roll out of the bread basket while Betsy wasn’t looking. And her cornbread stuffing was really indescribable and the recipe is quite complex. This is the one dish she always made sure was exactly spot on because she loved it, too.

As Betsy aged and David passed, her dementia finally overcame her coping skills- so she spent the last few years in the nursing home. We would like to thank the nursing staff and the leadership team at Glenview Wellness and Rehab in North Richland Hills and Twilight Hospice for taking such good care of our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.