Betty Jean Hargrave Hemlinger

Betty Jean Hargrave Hemlinger, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, reunited with her late husband, Robert E. Hemlinger, when she passed away on February 8, 2022 at the age of 96. Betty passed peacefully in Hope, Indiana, with her loving family at her side.

Betty was born November 12, 1925 in Fort Wayne, IN, to William McKinley Hargrave and Velma Marie Hautch. As a young girl, Betty had the opportunity to travel with her parents and siblings (Bill Hargrave, Marjorie Hargrave, James Hargrave) in support of her father’s career as a Major League Baseball player. Betty had an exceptionally bright mind and graduated Class of 1942 from Central High School in Fort Wayne at the age of sixteen. Post-high school, Betty was a clerical associate at Wolf & Dessauer in Fort Wayne, followed by 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, CA. During this time, Betty fell in love with high school friend Robert (Bob) E. Hemlinger, and the two were married March 27, 1945 in Los Angeles, CA, at the home of Betty’s mother. Betty and Bob eventually settled in LaGrange County, IN, where they raised their family in a tranquil lake home they constructed themselves.

Betty was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, homemaker, and friend. She had an extraordinary gift of kindness and hospitality and kept a welcoming home, a warm and inviting kitchen, and a peaceful lake yard filled with beautifully manicured flower gardens. Betty’s family members and many friends/neighbors were blessed to frequently enjoy her witty humor, her delectable culinary art skills (especially her rhubarb pie!), her entertaining card games, and her intellectually stimulating conversation. In her spare time, Betty enjoyed reading, gardening, baking, sewing/cross-stitch, bowling, birdwatching, pontoon rides, neighborhood picnics, and the Royer Lake Rowdies.

Betty contributed to the community through her work with the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce, the LaGrange County Bookmobile, and the Fisher/Royer Lakes Association. As empty nesters, Betty and Bob lived in Japan for two years, during which time Betty taught English classes. Additionally, Betty was an active and longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Kendallville.

Betty is survived by her three children: Terry James Hemlinger, Susan Rebecca Hemlinger Thieben, and Ann Elizabeth Hemlinger Holt Hawkes (Glenn); her seven grandchildren: Jessica, Sara (Will), David (Sarah), Emily, Heather (John), Julie (Jose), and Benjamin; and fourteen great-grandchildren.

God be with you till we meet again, sweet Betty!

Funeral service will be 11 am Tuesday February 15, 2022 at The First Presbyterian Church, 201 S. State St, Kendallville IN., with visitation from 10 – 11AM. Graveside service and burial at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 6750 Covington Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46804 at 2 pm. Tuesday. Arrangements by D.O. McComb and Sons Foster Park Funeral Home 6301 Fairfield Ave. To sign the online guestbook go to www.mccombandsons.com