Bee was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Andover. She was a Girl Scout leader and loved playing pinochle. Sewing was her greatest love. She could sew anything. She made coats for several of her grandaughters, formals, clothes for her grand children, and tons of fun and unique sweatshirts, designs by Bee, that the whole family still wears.
As a single mother, in a time when being a single, self-sufficient mother was a rarity, she persevered. She bought a house by herself, bought a car by herself, and supported her kids by herself. Those things sound normal for us today, but in the 50’s and 60’s, it was very different. She said that when applying for her home loan, she was told by men working at the bank her application would not be approved – but, to their surprise, it was approved, and she became a homeowner. Later, she also bought a family vacation property on Table Rock Lake in Missouri, dubbed “The Bee Hive”. Our family still enjoys that property today.
Bee excelled in the workplace. She broke barriers and made history becoming the first female store manager in Safeway Food Stores history. She was also the first female President of the local Grocers Union. Neither role was easy to attain. She worked hard, maintained professionalism, learned, adapted, and mentored. Nothing could keep her down – not even being robbed, held at gunpoint, tied up, and locked in the Safeway store’s freezer. That may have sent many people running from the job, but she went back to work, continuing her career for many more years. She worked for Safeway for 37 years.
Anyone that knew Bee, learned something from her. Whether it was a sewing tip, a home remedy, a recipe, or a life lesson, she had something for you. She would help anyone that she could – family, friend, or stranger. She volunteered countless hours to her Church in her work with the Food Pantry, yearly Clothing Drive, yearly Cookie Sale, and many other projects. She also volunteered at a local Women’s shelter and with the Girl Scouts.
As her grandkids began having kids near her retirement from work, she watched several of our kids on a regular basis while we worked. Gran’s house was fun for them and they were well taken care of. She even took them on “field trips” to places like Krispy Kreme, Exploration Place, and of course, all the way to the Bee Hive in Missouri. Many of the great-grandkids have a very special bond with her.
There are so many great memories – trips to the lake at “The Bee Hive”, shows, shopping and Silver Dollar City in Branson, work week lunches, funny conversations, the clothes and costumes she made for the kids, Holidays, cooking meals – just too many things to list out. She will be greatly missed, but she and her story live on in all of us.
Blanche is survived by daughters Charlene Bettinger (Bruce), Diana Heston (Lonnie), and Sandra Haskins (John); grandchildren Dawn Wattman (Walter), Laura Evans (Rob), Scott Bettinger, Jenny Duncan (Jarryd), Echo Taverner (Joseph), Chrissy Heston, Adam Haskins, Elena Alquist, Alexandra Hamling (Zachary), Andrei Haskins and 23 great grandchildren.
Blanche was preceded in death by father John R. Eccles; mother Laura F. Eccles; great grandson Joshua Wattman; and 12 siblings.
A visitation for Blanche will be held Wednesday, April 14, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Lakeview Funeral Home, 12100 E 13TH ST N, WICHITA, KS 67206. A funeral service will occur Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 10:00 AM at Lakeview Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Blanche's memory may be made to American Lung Association , 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150, Chicago, Illinois 60601.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MyLakeviewFuneralHome.com for the Cline family.
