Betty Burke Manning

Betty was born in southwestern Nebraska to parents that grew up in the farming community. She had two sisters Barbara and Beverly Burke. At an early age her parents, father Ethelbert, and mother Gladys moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, to seek employment. Her father was a wounded veteran from WWI and somewhat unable to work to his potential. Her mother trained to become a nurse and this became the main support of the family for many years. These were hard times during the Great Depression.

Betty graduated High School in Lincoln and worked at both secretarial and waitressing jobs while living through WWII as a teenager and young woman. As the war was concluding many veterans found their way to Lincoln to the Air Force Base. One of these young men she met and fell in love with was Edsel Manning her husband to be. They married shortly thereafter and began a family, having 2 children, Linda and Larry, born a year apart. This was a time when Edsel was most often on assignment for the military or actually at war. One of the family’s first locations was Alaska.

Edsel became a career Air Force pilot, Betty became the support for this career caring for the children, much of the time with Edsel being away on duty. The military life led the family to many places around the United States and overseas. By the time the children became teens the family settled into Colorado Springs in the 1950’s. By the 1960’s Edsel became permanently stationed in the Springs and life found itself with more normality until the Vietnam War. This was a very difficult time for Betty as simultaneously her son left for college and her daughter moved on to start her own family. During her entire life Betty was committed to her family and friends and was patriotic through and through.

Betty spent her life caring for others, often times without her husband by her side, not to mention the difficulty of Edsel being in danger at war. Dedication to family became Betty’s mainstay and continued until the day of her passing. As her family became extended to grandchildren and eventually great and great-great grandchildren her dedication turned to caring and supporting the extended family.

Betty spent many hours following the latest news and sports. Betty first became very interested in sports by supporting her son Larry’s involvement in sports. She started learning the game of football and enjoyed supporting the Denver Broncos and also the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Larry’s alma mater) and the Colorado Rockies Baseball teams. (Coincidentally Rockies color is purple which was also her favorite color).

Edsel passed away in 1997 and shortly after her daughter Linda joined Betty in her house in a mutually beneficial relationship. They became companions and Linda’s cat, King George, and dog, Nikki, have lived with them to keep a watchful eye over the home. Betty continued to support her extended family and enjoy her sports. As Betty aged, her health presented challenges, but she endured until it was time to find peace apart from her presence on earth. There is no doubt that she is in a place where she is receiving as much love, kindness and generosity as she has given.

Her legacy lives in her family. Her compassion and constant positive approach and success with life’s challenges, as well as her determination to be a loving mother and wife, remains a wonderful example to all.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Wounded Warrior Project, 1 South Nevada Ave., Suite 205, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, or at www.woundedwarriorproject.org

The family requests that attendees at her service, wear her favorite color, Purple.