Betty Lou Gilpin

Beloved Wife. Proud Mother and Grandmother. Favorite Aunt. Loyal Friend. Betty Lou Benitz Gilpin was born on March 12, 1935, in Troy, Kansas, to Carl and Hilda (Ramseier) Benitz. She passed away peacefully at her home in Gladstone, Missouri, on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at the age of 90 surrounded by love.

Betty was the youngest of six children, growing up with four brothers and one sister. She graduated from Wathena High School and decided to give nursing school a try, but after just two short weeks, she knew it wasn’t for her. She went to work at Pat’s Super Market in Wathena and later worked at Armour & Co. as a teletype operator in St Joseph.

On New Year’s Day in 1956, she met the love of her life at the New Yorker bar in St. Joseph. Jim and Betty were engaged on Christmas Eve 1957 and married on June 1, 1958. Shortly after their wedding, they moved to Kansas City and would call it home for the next 67 years.

Betty and Jim raised three daughters where Betty was a full-time mother and homemaker. She became an excellent seamstress, with many hours spent making outfits for her and her daughters, sometimes matching. She was a terrific cook, with her “famous” tacos being one of her favorite meals to make for her family and their friends. She also loved gardening, bowling, basking in the sun, and playing bridge with her many dear friends. It was amazing to us that she continued to play bridge even as her memory began to fade. Walking was another one of her favorite hobbies and if you asked her about it, she would reply “two and a half miles in the morning and two and half miles in the evening.”

Betty was an excellent shopper, always looking for a bargain. She knew that the best bargains were often found at garage sales. She loved the hunt and developed a keen eye for spotting a good sale from the street. Her grandchildren couldn’t wait to visit to see what “new” toy she had for them, and she would always claim it came from Nordstroms. She liked to stay busy and was always on the go. When her girls were in school, she had a hint of an entrepreneur spirit starting a wallpaper hanging business - B&L Paper Hangers - with one of her best friends. She later went to work with the Missouri Division of Family Services and after twelve years retired in 1998.

Betty and Jim were blessed with many wonderful friends who helped weave the fabric of their lives. When they moved to Gladstone to raise their family, they formed lifelong friendships with their closest neighbors - the Guevel, Meyer, and Spaunhorst families - all of whom remain cherished and dear to this day.

Betty will be remembered for her sweetness and her determination, as well as her beautiful blue eyes. Mom would often tell us, “If there’s a will, there’s a way” and she demonstrated that with a major milestone at age 46. She and one of her closest friends decided it was time to kick their smoking habit. They did it and never looked back. It’s a date and time she never forgot – January 29, 1981, at 7pm.

Betty is preceded in death by her husband, her parents and her siblings - brothers Bernard, Bobby, Melvin, Carl Jr. and her dear sister Darlene. Survivors include her three daughters, Janet Glasnapp, Pam (Rick) Stanley, and Sandy Gilpin. She also leaves three grandchildren, Brooke Glasnapp, Jack and Kyle Stanley, and one step grandchild, Nick (Mary) Glasnapp, along with numerous nieces and nephews. She will be dearly missed.

The family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the team of caretakers at Clarkson Companion, including Colleen, Christine, Donna, Angie, and Darla, as well as Maame and Joy from In-Home Care Services. The team at KC Hospice was patient and kind as we navigated the final weeks we had with our mom. The exceptional care and support they gave throughout the last 18 months was truly invaluable to all of us. We are forever grateful.

A visitation for Betty will be held Monday, December 22, from 10-11:00am at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 1701 NE 96th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, with funeral services beginning at 11:00am.

Memorial donations can be made to King of Kings Lutheran Church (kingofkingskc.org) or KC Hospice (kchospice.org).