Betty Marie Entsminger

Elizabeth Marie Cowan Entsminger

Betty

Betty was born on November 17, 1925 to Lloyd Vincent Cowan and Marie Elizabeth Cowan (DeBacker).   She was born at home on a 320-acre farm six miles from Delia, Kansas and 10 miles north of Silver Lake, Kansas.  Her father, Lloyd Cowan, and her uncle, Louis Cowan, rented and farmed the land together.

Betty attended Stach Grade School east of Delia, Kansas. While she was in grade school the family got electricity on the farm, but they had no indoor plumbing.  Betty had two brothers, Kenny and Keith.

Betty graduated from Silver Lake High School.  During her senior year of high school, Betty met Robert “Bob” Ford Entsminger who was from Wichita, Kansas.  He moved to Silver Lake, Kansas to help out on his Grandma Sloan’s farm and finish high school.  Upon his graduation he left to join the Navy.

After graduating high school in 1943, Betty moved to Topeka, Kansas.  She began working at Capitol Securities, a finance company.  Her job consisted of all-purpose duties, including stenography and typing, which she received training for in high school.

Bob came home from World War II in 1946 and joined the Navy Reserve.  After his return, Bob and Betty were married on December 16, 1946.

Capitol Securities sold the business to another finance company, Bankers Investment.  Betty worked there at the cashier counter and then got a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a secretary.  She then worked as a secretary in the Chief of the Doctor’s office at the VA Hospital for six months, but left that position because of a reduction in force and transferred to another smaller Department of Agriculture office.

In 1950, Bob got recalled into the service for Korea.  They moved to several port cities before Betty returned to Topeka in 1951.  She began a job with the VA as a secretary in the Social Service Department.  Betty worked at the VA until she became pregnant with Chad. Chad was born in May of 1957.  In March 1959 the family moved to their Crest Drive address and in July of 1965 Megan was born.

Betty worked at the Legislature doing secretarial work for the House of Representatives in the Chief Clerk’s office.  After working a few years in the Chief Clerk’s office, Betty began working for one of the legislators.  After a few years she became a stay at home mom.

Later, Betty volunteered at the Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church office two days a week until 2001.  Betty was a member of the Dazzling Dozen, a women’s group that met each month for dinner, for many years.  She was also an avid bowler, and even earned the title of WIBC 1985-1986 League Champion.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, on March 29, 1986.  She was also preceded in death by her parents and brothers.  She is survived by two children, Chad (Karen) Entsminger and Megan (James) Essary along with three grandchildren, Brandy (Grant) Treaster, Andrew Entsminger, and Dawson Essary.

The family will receive friends from 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church where a Parish Rosary will be prayed at 10:30 a.m.  Following the rosary, Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.at the church.  Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys, Kansas.