Betty Jean McKerlie Lennon

Born July 20, 1929 in Shelby, Montana to Clair and Clara McKerlie. A few years later her brother, Jimmy was born. Her family lived in many towns following her father’s work. Leavenworth and Hanford, Washington; Choteau, Havre, Kalispell, Montana to mention a few. Betty spent her younger years visiting the Talifson family ranch in Choteau, Montana. She would see her aunts, uncles and cousins.

After her father’s death, her family settled in Davenport, Washington. Clara remarried Harvey Thomson and Betty would now have step-brothers join the family. She loved going to dances at the grange as a young woman. They were at small towns like Hartline, Almira and Davenport along the Highway 2 corridor in Eastern Washington.

She met her future husband, Robert Lennon, while working as a waitress at “Lennon’s Café” in Davenport. Bob had returned home from serving in the Navy to help his parents at the café. They were married March 28, 1948.They owned and operated a restaurant in St. Helens, Oregon for one year. They left the restaurant business to get their teaching credentials. Her son, Clair Bradley Lennon was born May 13, 1953.Together, Bob and Betty taught all grades in one-room school houses. Howe, Idaho, White Pine, Montana, and Canyon Ferry, Montana. Bob left teaching to work in construction. Betty Taught three more years in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho while working on her master’s degree.

In 1963, they all moved to the Seattle area. Betty began working for the Federal Way School District as a 5th grade teacher and later as a reading and basic skills specialist. During her first year teaching, she had her future daughter-in-law, Rhonda, in her classroom. She loved visiting Hawaii with her friend and fellow teacher Pat.

Betty retired from 25 years of teaching in the Federal Way School District. Bob and Betty then moved to Otis Orchards in September of 1988. Betty was a great seamstress and sewed many of her own clothes. She also loved quilting and belonged to the Valley Quilters Group. She loved cats and you could always find a cat or two in her home.

Betty is survived by her son, Brad(and Rhonda), a grandson, Jeremy (and Sandra), four great grandchildren, Tayson, Caden, Kaya, and Kaytlin. A granddaughter, Heather Rugh (and Chad), stepbrothers Arnold and Gordon Thompson.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 2:00pm at the Chapel of Strate Funeral Home, 505 10th Street, Davenport, WA. Interment will follow at Mt. View Cemetery, Davenport, WA. Memorials can be made to Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation, 425 Pontius Ave N. #300, Seattle, Washington 98109-5452. Please sign our online guestbook at www.stratefuneralhome.com. STRATE FUNERAL HOME, DAVENPORT, WA is caring for the family.