Mrs. Betty L. Conn

Betty Conn passed away February 6, 2009, at Sunrise of Carmel after living with Alzheimer's disease for well over a decade. Betty was born in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1919 and lived in Indianapolis since 1955 when she and her husband Ed relocated from Beloit, WI. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in East Chicago, IN, where she played the French horn, and attended Western College for Women in Ohio.

Betty was a loving and enthusiastic wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was married to Ed for 65 years when he passed away in 2006.

Betty enjoyed golf, bridge, bowling, fiber arts, making candy, and working in the garden. But her true love was doing things with Ed - dancing, singing to the player piano, having friends over for parties and dinner (she was always trying new recipes), traveling, attending the symphony and other events in Indianapolis, and going to Lake Monroe. Her annual Christmas gingerbread house was a tradition started in 1948.

Family mattered to her. Time with children and grandchildren was special - she always looked forward to surprising them and making them smile. She loved being a kid right along with the grandchildren.

Betty was an active member of Fairview Presbyterian Church where she served as head of Christian education for many years and was always there for bake sales and pitch ins. She was an active supporter of Boy Scouts, a Girl Scout leader, a member of Meridian Hills Women's 18-Hole Group, St. Margaret's Hospital Guild, TNT Dance club, the Indianapolis Museum of Art Alliance and a staunch Purdue supporter.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Ed, parents Susan and Harry Smyers, sisters Edna, Esther and Gaynell, and brothers Harry and Frank. She is survived by daughter Pam Harnett (Don), son Jack Conn (Mary), grandchildren Jennifer Meyer, Sara Burroughs, and Brian Conn, and great grandchildren Christopher and Aidan Meyer, and Juliet and Jacobi Burroughs.

A heartfelt thank you is given to her special caregivers at SunRise, the caring team from AseraCare, and special friend Barbara Furlow, for being extended family and treating her with love and dignity as Alzheimer's took her away from us.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Condolences maybe sent to the family at www.crownhill.org . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the AseraCare Hospice, Sun Rise Senior Living of Carmel, or the Alzheimer's Association.