Bette Kay Dewees

Bette Dewees passed from this life on September 30, 2026. She was born in 1946, the 2nd of 4 children, to Albert W. Joyner and Margaret A. Joyner. They predeceased her, along with younger brother Tommy Joyner.

She spent her early childhood under the big sky, where the summers were warm and carefree, and the winters snow covered, filled with snowmen, shoveling, trudging to school, wearing jeans under her dress. Her father’s job moved them away, to Florida, another time back to Montana, then Nassau, and Utah. She made many friends along the way, and moved away from them.

Her early married life was spent traveling and moving with Don, following his jobs. She worked as a waitress, telephone operator, TV assembler, bank clerk, never too long in one location. Life changed after having children. She “held down the fort” and raised the children. She was the “2nd meanest mother on the block”, which required some effort. She volunteered as a room mother, a volunteer firefighter, PTA mother, a den mother. A station wagon with more seats was required, so the friends could share some of the experiences. They went on numerous adventures, such as whale watching, a Chimposium, betting on the horses (not real money) at a racetrack, orienteering, seeing the railroad museum in Sacramento on a road trip from California to Washington, a road trip from Washington State to Florida, via North Dakota, with the children navigating, train trips to Washington, D.C., Florida.

After the children were grown, she took some paying jobs: as a secretary at a research station, an insurance CSR, a retail accounts payable clerk, a bookkeeper, and finally as prototype storeroom operator at Cummins Tech Center. She retired from the Tech Center, after 13 years of enjoying the parts, engines, and the association with talented technicians and engineers.

Activities during her retirement included watching birds, critters, and writing letters to friends and family. She battled leaves, bugs, woodpeckers, mice, and cancer— and lost all the battles. Her saying from those days was “if you ask me, and nobody ever does”.

She is survived by her husband, Don Dewees of Nashville, IN, sister Judith Hogan of Stuart, FL, brother David Joyner (Marie), of Titusville, FL, children, Angela Dewees (David Charles), Brad Dewees (Rikki), Casey Dewees (Emily), grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her children, then and always, were her pride and joy.