Betty Jean Webber

Betty Jean Webber, 93, of Fletcher, NC, formerly of Columbus and Upper Arlington, Ohio, finished her important work of processing her long, rich life, January 18, 2013, in the comfort of her own bed, nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and far from the place of her birth, Rennerdale, PA, where she was born, July 9, 1919.

Both her father, Eugene Davis Vail, and then her mother, Pearl Marie Clark, died young, leaving Betty and her older brothers, Victor Kennon and John D. Vail, wards of the state of Ohio. The three were raised by their Great Aunt and Uncle, Ivan and Edgar Marshall, in Coshocton, Ohio. Her oldest brother, Victor Kennon, died during the WW II Normandy Invasion; John also preceded her.

Betty graduated from Coshocton High School and moved to Columbus in 1939. She worked as a secretary at Motorist Mutual Insurance Co., then located in the A.I.U. Building, became a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and lived on the Hilltop. She also attended Glenwood Methodist Church’s Epworth League where she met and later married Earl E. Webber, June 1942.

Their 57-year union bore the fruit of 3 children: Kennon (Brenda), Asheville, NC; Susan Marie Vail, Oakland, CA; Jeffrey Thomas (Aimee), Concord, NC. Betty will also be missed by her grand-daughters, Lori Urena-Webber (Luis), Davis, CA; and Lisa Ann, Oakland, CA; as well as her great-grand-daughter, Christina Webber-Urena, and nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends throughout the U.S.

Betty Jean loved to socialize, sing, write, travel and engage in crafts. A sample of her accomplishments include:

She was a Lifetime member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and worked for many years with Children’s Hospital Twig #59 in the Thrift Store.

She and Earl were long-time members of Maple Grove Methodist Church where she wrote several musicals and assisted in planning and initiating the annual craft shows. Later at the UA Senior Center she also taught crafts.

Betty studied voice under Dorothy Stevens Humphries where she became an accomplished soprano. She also sang and wrote poems for “Melody Lane,” WRFD’s Saturday evening radio program.

In 1964, Betty won a Freedoms Foundation Award for her essay. She also wrote a newspaper column, “Straight from the Heart,” that was a weekly feature in The Booster and other neighborhood newspapers.

Her writing skills, honed from taking numerous Writer’s Digest correspondence courses, served her well as the Executive Secretary to the Director of The Columbus Hospital Federation where she wrote and edited grant proposals for numerous health-related organizations.

She also worked part-time for the Kenley Players and interviewed actors who performed in summer-stock productions at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in downtown Columbus.

One winter (1979) she rented a tiny apartment in San Francisco and wrote the first draft of her novel, Broken Chords; however, alas, it was never published.

Upon Earl’s retirement (1983) they relocated from their UA home to Jeter Mountain, in Hendersonville, NC, where they enjoyed ten, rich years of retirement, leisure, and travel. As Earl’s health faltered, they returned to Columbus.

After becoming a widow (1999) she moved to Fletcher, NC, in 2003, to be closer to her two sons. She wrote the humorous “Betty Jean’s Ramblings,” eliciting laughter from friends and family.

Betty is the first person in the Webber family to ever travel to Africa (1981). She was proud of the fact she had visited all 50 states and--at one time--knew the capitol of each one.

Early on a frosty Friday Betty Jean Webber began her last journey, released from the constraints of our physical world and leaving behind material comforts as well as her family and many friends, to pass--as she often said--into the “Great Beyond.”

A gathering to remember Betty Jean Webber will begin at 1 p.m., Wednesday, January 30, 2013, at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 1740 Zollinger Rd., Columbus, OH. A reception with cake and ice cream, per Betty’s final request, will be held from 2 to 3 PM.

In her final weeks Betty Jean’s comfort and care were greatly enhanced by CarePartners Health Services. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations, in Betty Jean Webber’s name, to CarePartners Foundation, PO Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813. To share memories or condolences, visit www.schoedinger.com.