Betty Lou Harrison

Betty Lou Harrison succumbed to a long struggle with dementia on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at The Milton Home in South Bend, Indiana. She was 101.

She was born Aug. 24, 1922, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to John L. and Madelyn (Kuehn) Stetter. A child of the Great Depression, she was employed by Fort Wayne's Wolf and Dessauer department store while a high school student. It was there she met fellow employee Brian Kent Harrison, whom she married Jan. 31, 1942. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters.

In 1952 the family relocated to Elkhart, Indiana. Betty was employed as an administrative assistant at Miles Laboratories' Ames Division, and Skyline Homes' legal department, retiring from Bayer Corporation's engineering department in 1990. She was also a member of Four Arts Club and the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Betty was a devoted daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, as well as a loyal friend. She was a voracious reader and an amazing cook. She was widowed in 1977.

After retirement, she moved to the South Bend area. With the onset of dementia, it was necessary for her to move to Elkhart's Hubbard Hill, followed by moves back to South Bend's Morning View, and eventually The Milton Home. Survivors include daughters Susan (Stephen) Reim, Naperville, Illinois, and Vicki (John) Wilson, Eugene, Oregon; grandsons Mark (Delana) Reim, Niceville, Florida and John (Maureen) Reim, Grayslake, Illinois; granddaughter Sarah Wilson, San Francisco, California; great-grandchildren Jessica Reim, James and Kelsey Reim, and Pablo Cuellar-Wilson. She was predeceased by her husband, Brian Kent Harrison, and a granddaughter, Kathryn Anne Wilson.

The family wishes to thank all caregivers who tended to Betty the last 10 years, as well as her compassionate Hospice nurses. Memorial gifts may be directed to either Ascent Hospice, 1930 Edison Road, South Bend, IN 46617, or Center for Hospice, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545. There will be no services. Betty was laid to rest next to her husband at Peace Chapel, Rice Cemetery, Elkhart.

Palmer Funeral Home-River Park Chapel assisted the family with arrangements. Words of condolence may be submitted online at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.