Betty Lane

Betty Lane, 97, died December 8, 2017, in Indianapolis. She was born July 4, 1920, to Fletcher and Mary Leola Johnson. During her youth her family moved frequently, at first within Indianapolis and then during the Depression to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, returning to Indianapolis where Betty graduated from Shortridge High School in 1938.

Betty graduated from the University of Illinois in 1941, having spent much of her time there writing articles for the Daily Illini, the campus newspaper. Her articles covered a variety of topics including the correct usage of the name Illini, a topic of some currency today.

Following graduation, Betty worked with the FBI in Washington, D.C. She became a cryptographer, earning a letter of commendation for breaking a code of importance to the war effort.

While in Washington she and John Lane, also from Indianapolis and who was stationed in Maryland, get together. They were married in September, 1943.

In the ensuing years, while raising three children, Betty wrote more than 75 articles, many of them for the Indianapolis Star magazine, and many of these were featured on the magazine's cover.

In 1984, Betty and John moved to Green Valley, Arizona, where Betty continued to write articles. She also conducted oral histories with old time ranchers, both male and female, in southern Arizona. These oral histories are now housed in the Tubac Historical Society's library. She was also active in Friends of Madera Canyon, helping to lead natural history school tours through the Canyon.

John died in 1996. Betty moved back to Indiana in 2001. Betty is survived by her daughter Katharine (Daniel) Frohardt-Lane of Royal Oak, Michigan. Her two sons, John and Philip, predeceased her (Philip in 2011 and John in October, 2017). Her daughters-in-law, Rose Lane and Nancy Lane, also survive her. Betty leaves five grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 6, 2018, at 11:00 in the Foundation Hall of Marquette Manor Retirement Community, 8140 Township Line Road, Indianapolis. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to Friends of Madera Canyon, P.O. Box 1203, Green Valley, Arizona, 85622-1203.