Betty June Mansfield Dunn

On March 29, 1926, Heaven poured out a literal bundle of joy on George and Gladys Mansfield...and the world. This precious little lass, later becoming known as "The Pillow Lady", was simply known by her loving family as Betty June. "Betty Boop"...as many would come to fondly call her.

Mom grew up during a simple time and in a modest place, there in Ferndale, Michigan, sharing love with her four beloved brothers: Jim, Ed, Walt, and J D. She was joined at the heart with her two like-precious sisters: Naomi and Elaine. Today the family still rejoices in the lives of J D and Naomi, on this side of Heaven...as the others were waiting to greet her at Heaven's gates...on July 23, 2011.

Betty was a good student. Enjoyed biology, history, typing, and shorthand. She retained many of the historical facts that she had learned in school...and enjoyed sharing them with anyone who would listen...for Mom LOVED to talk and to share her vast wealth of knowledge and extensive vocabulary. She was a proud graduate of Hazel Park High in January, 1944...and like any good fairy tale...on July 27, 1946, in Metropolis, Illinois...she married her superman...Elton Dunn, who preceded her in death on May 23, 2011.

From that point on, her life WAS her family. She nurtured her four children, George, Marsha, Douglas, and Randy with gentle hands and firm faith. Douglas is no longer with us...having passed away in 2005. Their reunion must have been a sight to behold!

When time permitted and need dictated, Betty maintained various secretarial and clerical positions throughout her lifetime. But they were always on the back burner...with her family taking center stage, and God as her cornerstone. Having become a Christian after meeting Elton, Betty maintained membership at various churches throughout her life- time...including many years after her retirement, at Traverse City Church of Christ, and for a short time at Kalkaska Church of Christ, where she attended with her daughter, Marsha, and son-in-law, Mike. No matter where Betty worshiped, she bridged gaps, made friends, spread joy, shared words of wisdom...and gave away pillows.

She loved to give away pillows. She saved the "allowance" Dad would give her to buy material, pillow forms, and thread. Tons and tons of thread...so she would have just the right shade to match whatever she was working on at the time. She looked on this new endeavor at Kalkaska Church of Christ...as a whole new crop of people to give pillows to...and cook barbecued meatballs for...and share wisdom and antics with. She had high hopes of making new silver friends...while clinging to those golden ones she had known for so long. No problem there. Betty made friends and drew crowds wherever she went. That was mom. And we loved her for it.

Besides quilting pillows...mom loved gardening, poetry, crossword puzzles, politics, and music...a mixture of southern gospel, Creedance Clearwater Revival (I kid you not), and anything by George Dunn. But believe it or not...though sports were never her forte...she developed a love for rugby! After getting excited about the game watching her granddaughter, Jennifer, play in highschool, she actually played in a mother(grandmother)/daughter rugby game on August 23, 2008. This game was the entertainment at the end of a day filled with men's tournament games, called The Cherry Pit. The highlight of mom's life...she would gleefully gloat about this from that day forward. Number 82 (her age at the time)...never stopped talking about it. I mean never!

Now her legacy lives on in the lives of her dearly loved grandchildren: Ana, Elizabeth, Jeremy, Daniel, Holly, Scott, LeAnn, Tim, Michelle, Jennifer, Lindsay, Tiana, Breana, Bria, and Roger. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Joel Wayne Parrish who went to be with Jesus on May 24, 1978. Betty also leaves behind 9 great-grandchildren to carry on her legacy of love.

For on the other shore, now to work her magic, she won’t need her glasses any more. And with Jesus providing the light she will just sit and sew all night. As she awaits our meeting...for at Heaven's gates with pillows she'll be greeting!

Bye mom. You will be deeply missed.

_______________________________________

On This Side of Heaven

by Marsha Dunn Parrish...

On this side of Heaven

she stitched pillows

and mended hearts

she was beautiful to all of us

her life a work of art.

Her love a soft and gentle place

to lay our burdens down

into her infectious laughter

melted every frown.

On this side of Heaven

she gave until it hurt

literally right off her back

she'd gladly give to you her shirt.

For she knew in her vast wisdom

true treasures

await upon the other shore

things we store upon this side

merely charity's reservoir

easily gotten gifts

on us showered from above

so to her, giving back...

synonymous with love.

On this side of Heaven

with these words her battles won...

"Inch by inch," she'd say, "a cinch!"

and "In ALL things give the glory

to God the Father and the Son."

With this same spirit

she stitched her pillows

shoveled snow

and mowed the lawn

yanked every weed

from her garden

until each one was gone

pruned...

and even chopped down trees

still prayed to God

on worn-out bended knees

played rugby at age 82

and even scored a try

and after 65 years of marriage

to her soul-mate said good-bye.

For throughout her years

of living...she always knew

God was the only answer

even as she bravely battled cancer.

Yes...on this side of Heaven

that sparkle is now gone.

The smile that once lit up our lives

has shed its battles and moved on.

And though her passing...on this side

left a vast and empty hole

within our hearts and Heaven's gates

resides one most precious soul!

________________________________________

Finishing the Pillows...

In Memory of Betty Dunn...

by Paula K. Darling,

in gratitude of my few days spent with this precious saint..

She ran her hand across their surfaces, as she lovingly spoke of each one...as if they were errant children leaving her a job she must get done.

A chore, but one she must complete...and each one different from the rest, and she told us all about it, though weary..

she did her best!

The pillows spread out before her, each a different subject, color, hue...each needing a different treatment from her hands, she knew just what to do...

And so she told us...her daughter, and me...a new, blessed friend..about finishing her pillows, a job that seemed to have no end.

That task looked monumental, as it lay splayed across the bed, yet she knew the different tasks needed, had them all stored up in her head...

Except for just a couple...those puzzled her a bit, and she still pondered them and asked advice, but she was still sharp of her own wit...

She would have it her own way...any person could plainly see, that this womanly powerhouse moved her mountains by tenacity!

Then as she gazed at this mount of pillow fronts...she rather gave a sigh, and gathered them together, to do them....bye and bye.

A resigned look came over her, as she put them all away...Finishing the Pillows, was not important to her that day.

There was life to live, and tales to tell, and things to laugh about. Many were the songs she'd sing if others would rout them out!

And for that day she sang them, in a voice so clear and strong...Finishing the Pillows on such a day, would have been all wrong!

To work alone, and not talk and sing with others round about...would be to lose a precious day, and beside that...she felt worn out!

She had told to others the plans she'd made of how to do the finish work, just grand! Perhaps those pillows would be done...but, by another hand...

On another day, another time, when there were those with more time to spare...they'd pick up her pillows fronts,...and find HER waiting there!

Perhaps they'd see her hands again, smoothing out the thread, running her fine needle through, in patterns thought out within her head!

Perhaps they would remember her again...and cry a tear or two, knowing the love she'd placed in stitches.... of the crafted gifts in view...

Perhaps they would learn the pleasure that she found in solitude...in moments of prayer and praising the Lord... with a heart of gratitude!

She didn't know for sure what fate.. awaited her sewing pile upstairs...But, Finishing the Pillows... was truly the Lord's affairs!