Betty Hoyt Schotanus

Betty Schotanus of Olathe, beloved wife, mother and friend went to our heavenly father on August 8th, 2023. Born Betty Carol Hoyt on July 31st in Ford county Kansas to Lillian and Charles Hoyt of Cimarron, KS.

Betty grew up in a musical family where get-togethers in Western Kansas and Wyoming often included singing hymns, playing the piano and guitar.

After graduating from Dodge city community college, she went to Washington D.C. to be a secretary at the Pentagon before returning to Kansas to finish her education. She received her bachelor’s degree from Emporia State, and later a Master’s in business administration.

Betty wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps of being a lineman, however, being partially color blind, she was not able to fulfill this dream. Instead, she spent the majority of her career with Southwestern Bell and AT&T where she worked as a senior engineer. After a brief retirement, she served as church secretary at Desoto United Methodist Church before taking on another communications job with Sprint that should would ultimately retire from in 2007.

When she was not busy being a working mother, sister and wife Betty enjoyed the simple pleasures in life such as music, playing cards, and cheering for her Kansas City Chiefs. The fellowship she found with friends at Desoto UMC became a large part of Betty and her family’s life prior to a stroke in 2006 which limited her mobility. Although her mobility was limited, she was always there for advice, encouragement and a good recipe to share.

Betty is survived by her husband Chris, with whom she was married for 42 glorious years and shared a beautiful family with. She had the pleasure to see her daughter Sarie marry her husband Jason, her son Nathaniel marry Karen, and youngest daughter Beatrice marry Brett. In addition to her children, Betty also found joy in each of her grandchildren Holly, Penny, Douglas and Carol Jean. She is preceded in death by her beloved sister Jean and grandson Garret Blair.

In addition to her family, Betty enjoyed the company of her four-legged friends as well. While battling a fight with cancer in 2019, Rascal and Yoda were there by her side through her recovery and lifted her spirits in a time of need. She would say they were more than just dogs but members of the family.

A memorial service will be held at Desoto United methodist Church on Sunday August 20th at 3pm.

Condolences may be offered at www.dignitymemorial.com