BETTY IONE ELLISON HAYES

Betty Ione Ellison Hayes, 84, went to be with our Lord and Savior on January 9, 2012, at Foxwood Springs Living Center in Raymore, Mo. Betty was born on May 2, 1927, in Hawkins, Wis. She graduated from the town high school in Troy, Wis., in 1945. On May 20, 1950, she married the love of her life, the late Marvin Lee Hayes, in Waukegan, Ill. For the next 19 years, Betty and Marvin constantly moved answering the needs of the U.S. Navy, while always managing to provide a good home for their four children. They ultimately enjoyed 59 years of marriage together until Marvin's death on May 18, 2009. After receiving her Cadet Corps Nurse's Certificate from Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago, Ill., in 1948, Betty was employed for 35 years as a registered nurse at various hospitals, including the Veterans Hospital in Great Lakes, Ill., and Victory Memorial Hospital in Waukegan, Ill. She served as a Sunday School teacher in numerous churches including Lewis Ave. Baptist Church in Waukegan, and Missoula Southern Baptist Church in Missoula, Mont. She was a member of the Women's Missionary Union for nearly 40 years and served as president of the WMU for Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. She also served the Lord by singing in the church choir, teaching literacy classes, and teaching English as a second language. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great- grandmother, Betty always placed God, country, and family before anything else. Her hobbies included writing poetry, cooking, gardening, quilting, fishing and playing Continental Rummy. She was preceded in death by her parents, Christian and Edna Anderson Ellison and seven brothers and sisters. She is survived by her twin sister, Beth Calbaum of Princeton, Wis.; children, David Hayes (Peggy) of Worthington, Ohio, Mark Hayes of Kansas City, Mo., Lisa Hayes Meyerhoff (Jim) of Houston, Texas, and Christopher Hayes (Anne) of Springfield, Va. Betty was very proud of her six grandchildren, Chris, Alex, Christina, Sarah, Ben, and Hannah-and her great- granddaughter, Elsa. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends. The Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Emmanuel Methodist Church, 102 W. Harvard St., Princeton, WI 54968. The service will be followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Betty's memory to either the Fellowship of John, a benevolence non- profit organization for the residents of Foxwood Springs, PO Box 701, Raymore, MO 64083, or the Alzheimer's Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090.