Betty Lou Keener

Betty Lou Keener, age 81, of Bloomington, passed away Monday, May 31, 2021 at I.U. Health; Bloomington Hospital. Born August 5, 1939, weighing almost 10 lbs., she was the daughter of William C. and Mildred L. (Bandy) Neese. Betty was a graduate of Logansport High School, class of 1957 and went on to earn her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Education from Indiana State University. She was a member of the Alpha Delta chapter of Chi Omega at I.S.U.

Betty started her teaching career in 1961 at Washington Elementary School in Logansport where she taught for 5 years. She married her husband, Jerry Keener in 1963. In 1966, Betty and Jerry moved to Bloomington, Indiana where she taught in the elementary grades for 28 more years, primarily at Childs Elementary School. Teaching was her joy! Betty strongly believed that learning should be fun and worked hard trying to make that a reality for her students. She remarked several times that she wanted her obituary to give a huge “thank you to all the students, parents, and other educators who made her life as a teacher a “pleasurable top-notch job!”. Betty was a member of two educators’ honoraries, Delta Kappa Gamma and Alpha Delta Kappa.

Her favorite travels were to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Canada and England. Reading, solving word puzzles and crafts were some of her favorite time fillers. Betty and Jerry enjoyed the times spent at their winter home in Palm Harbor, Florida. One of Betty’s favorite quotes was from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that’s why they call it the present” an important and helpful part of her life was being a member of the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church.

Betty is survived by her sister, Sandra (John) Zellers, of Winamac, Indiana, sister-in-law, Carol (Phil) Waechter, of Florida, nieces and nephews; Bradley Zellers, Dianna Blake, Billy Neese, Meera Good, Kristy Tisdale, Tania Currier, Jeffrey Waechter, Amy Nelson and Michael Schneider. Also surviving are beloved great-nieces and great-nephews.

In addition to her parents, Betty was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jerry, on August 13, 2015 after52 years of marriage, her brother, James W. Neese, father and mother-in-law, Thomas and Erma Keener and one sister-in-law, Sara Jane Schneider.

The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday at Valhalla Memory Gardens, 310 N. Johnson Ave.; Bloomington with Pastor David Wigington officiating. There will be a short gathering of family and friends from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, should friends desire, memorial contributions may be given to the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, 2655 S. Adams St; Bloomington, IN 47403

Online condolences and personal remembrances may be made to the family at www.DayDeremiahFrye.com