Betty Louise Love Freitag

Betty Louise Love was born November 16, 1922, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She was the second oldest of the 7 Love children born to Bessie and George Love. Betty was a devoted, active member of the Methodist church from the time she was carried into Trinity Methodist church by her mother at 6 months of age. Betty graduated from Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, OK. She met her first husband Arnold Pruitt while he was in flight school during WWII, and they married in 1941. Within two years of their marriage, Betty became a widow as the plane Arnold was piloting disappeared over the Himalayas. In 1951, Betty married Edward Freitag and moved to San Angelo, Texas where four of their five children were born. After moving to Phoenix in 1962 their last child was born, and Betty stayed home and raised the children until the youngest began kindergarten. Betty’s love of children was demonstrated by teaching preschool at Phoenix First United Methodist Church for many years. She became known for her amazing ability to work with challenging children. While teaching, Betty earned two Masters degrees at ASU in Early Childhood Education and Counseling. She worked as a manager and childhood counselor at CASA for many years, and as a counselor to many families and individuals, counseling clients up to the day of her death. Betty spent her life in the service of others as she assisted in the creation of the FISH program, a food and transportation assistance program, in west Phoenix. Betty worked to establish the Opportunity for Wider Learning Program in south central Phoenix, a program providing economically challenged children with tutoring and art classes. She was instrumental in the development of Centro Adelante Campesino, a farm worker health, jobs and food assistance organization in El Mirage. She served her church tirelessly and spent thousands of hours donating counseling time to families in crisis.

Betty is loved, missed and remembered by her family: Mark and Annette Aguirre-Freitag and their son Ben; Kurt and Rita Schaefer-Freitag; Craig and Sandy Freitag and their children Emma, Caleb and Michaela; Ellen and Jack Freitag-Duysen and their children Eric, James and Zachary; Eric and Kathy Freitag and their children Sarah and Jake. Betty has 2 grand daughters-in-laws, Lauren and Megan, and 4 great grandchildren Liam, Avery, Luca and Claire. She will be truly missed by hundreds of her wonderful friends and clients.

A service of remembrance will be held on August 5 at Epworth United Methodist Church, 4802 N. 59th Avenue, in Phoenix at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Betty’s name to The Southern Poverty Law Center or a children’s charity of your choice.