Betty Kruggel

Betty Kruggel November 13, 1914 - April 18, 2010 COLUMBUS, GA— Betty Kruggel, former school system official and active participant in multiple Columbus community organizations and endeavors, died Sunday at 95 years of age after several weeks of illness. She was born Mary Elizabeth Denison in Keokuk, Iowa, daughter of Sidney and Florence Denison, and lived in various Midwestern and Southern cities before moving to Columbus in 1966 after the death of her husband. She received her baccalaureate degree from the University of Illinois. The newly widowed Betty Kruggel, furthered her education by earning a Masters degree in psychology at Auburn University and going on to obtain six-year certification as a Specialist in Education from the University of Georgia. She came to Columbus in 1966 to accept employment with the Muscogee County School District and was the district's Director of Psychological Services and Director of Special Education. She retired in 1985. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, her beloved sorority, and of Phi Delta Kappa. Betty was active in many community organizations. She did volunteer service as a docent at the Columbus Museum for about 15 years, throughout her adult life was an active member of Daughters of the American Revolution, and was known in the Columbus Academy for Lifetime Learning (CALL) for her enthusiastic participation in recreational activities such as line dancing and mah-jongg, as well as for her intellectual contributions such as her leadership of CALL's Great Decisions discussion series. Betty was also a member of the Columbus Soroptimist Club. She was an accomplished pianist and happily shared her musical talent in response to numerous invitations and requests from various organizations and groups of friends. Her adventuresome spirit was manifested in her world travels, which she continued even in her later years. She made trips to China, Russia, Egypt, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Alaska, Norway, Spain, Greece, Italy, Iceland, and several places in South America including a boat tour of the Amazon River, as well as various destinations in the continental United States. Betty Kruggel was a loyal and dedicated Episcopalian; first a member of Columbus' Trinity Episcopal Church and later of the city's St. Thomas Episcopal Church, which was her affiliation at the time of her death, April 18, 2010.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Leroy Edmund "Lee" Kruggel. She is survived by her devoted daughter, Sidney Paula Wilson (with husband Ed Wilson) of Columbus; granddaughter, Lee McDowell (with husband Steve McDowell) of Columbus; step granddaughter, Cheryl Wilson of Atlanta; step grandsons, Ernest Wilson (with his wife Jeanne) of Cataula, GA, Kent Wilson of San Francisco and Paul Wilson of Phenix City; great-granddaughter, Denison McDowell of Columbus; step great granddaughters, Olivia Bynum of Atlanta, Laura Wilson of Phenix City, AL; and step great-grandson Andrew Wilson of Cataula, GA.

The funeral will be Thursday, April 22, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2100 Hilton Avenue, with the Rev. Doug Hahn presiding. A private burial will be conducted at a later time. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, friends will make donations in memory of Betty Kruggel to Columbus Hospice, Inc. at www.columbushospice.com. Flowers and condolences may be offered at www.shcolumbus.com.