Betty Petersen

1932 - 2025

Betty Lou Petersen passed on October 30th, 2025 at Advent Hospital in Wesley Chapel, Florida with her Florida family by her side, taking turns holding her hand, and celebrating her almost 93 years on this earth as our Mom, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and everyone's Diva. Her heart was big, full of God's love, but she was tired and her heart simply gave out.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Lowell, her son Craig Petersen, her daughter Cindy Mann and her brother-in-law Gary Keeny. The family is taking comfort knowing she's in heaven with them.

She is survived by her sister Carol Keeny, son-in-law Fred Mann, daughter Sherry Anderson and her husband Grant, grandchildren Ben Byler (Karoline), Luke Byler (Kara), Dani Reisman (Tyler), Elliott Mann, Garrett Rudkin, Brandon Rudkin (Erica), Darren Rudkin (Jennifer), great grandchildren, Zoe Byler (Devonte), Brady, Jackson, Eli, Charlie, Ryan and Mackenzie Byler, Rory Byler, Parker and Drake Reisman, Kylie Gomez (Yair) and Kayla Rudkin, Landon and Austin Rudkin, Mia and Mateo Rudkin, Xavier and Beatrix Rudkin, great great grandchild, London Dixon, niece Lori Komejan, nephew Bill Rebstock and her cat Chanella.

Betty was born November 24, 1932 at the Salvation Army hospital in Wichita, Kansas to Alice Bracken and Earl Moorehead as Metta Mae. She was adopted by her Grandfather Cleve Bracken and his wife Bessie on the condition they could change her name to Betty Lou. Soon after they also adopted Carol, Betty's half sister. Betty never knew her father, who was listed as an oil field worker on her birth certificate. She was blessed however to have her grandfather, her step mom, and her sister Carol as her family growing up in El Dorado, Ks.

Betty attended schools in El Dorado and helped her parents care for elderly people who lived in their home. Betty often shared how much she enjoyed delivering the resident's food trays and listening to the stories they shared. Betty loved riding with her Grandpa on his ice delivery truck and remembers kids running behind the truck begging for a piece of ice on hot summer days. Times were hard, and she often told about the Christmas they ate dinner with friends in their above garage apartment and her excitement when she found a piece of meat in her gravy. A highlight from high school was her trip to New York City with her Girl Scout troop where they visited Coney Island and slept in tents on the beach.

Betty attended El Dorado Community College where she was a cheerleader. At a football game in 1951, the future love of her life got her attention from the stands. His name was Lowell Clark Petersen - he introduced himself as Lowell Clark as in "Gable". After the game that night, Lowell and Betty shared a Coke and spent the next 68 years together.

The couple lived in Iola, LaHarpe, ElDorado, Kanopolis, and Wichita, while Lowell worked as a depot agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Sherry, Craig, and Cindy joined them along the way.

Kanopolis was where Betty unleashed her creative and loving mom skills. She was active in the church, sewed prom dresses, washed baseball uniforms, baked pies, and designed crazy socks for sock hops. She was the best teacher for hopscotch, jacks, jump rope, and made bread, butter and sugar for snacks. Her pallet making skills were unmatched.nap time on the floor with a fan and the curtains drawn. She worked at the bank and at the salt mine, played golf, loved family camping trips, Tom Jones, hot fudge sundaes, Kansas thunderstorms, Cozy Inn hamburgers, and shopping, especially at Crazy Day in Salina. On one orthodontist/shopping trip to Salina, and definitely on a whim, Betty came home with a red sports car. It might be hearsay but it's rumored Pete (Lowell) never sat foot in it.

Later in life Betty and Pete were excited with the arrival of their grandchildren. Favorite memories of the grandkids include Grandma's Oreo bedtime ritual, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, frying fresh caught fish, and dill dip. Betty loved Christmas and she spent hours making candy and wrapping gifts. Her gift packages were beautiful and always included special ornaments. One year Betty unknowingly attached X-rated decor to a gift. It was the highlight of that Christmas and has since found a special place on the family tree the last twenty years.

After grandkids came the birth of their great grandchildren and the birth of the infamous sextuplets in St. Pete, Florida in 2007. It was Labor Day weekend and Betty and Pete were gathered with family, the governor of Florida, and a team of doctors to welcome Ryan, Brady, Jackson, Eli, Charlie, and Mackenzie to the world. It was a memorable event not just for the family but for the state of Florida.

After Pete's retirement, the couple moved to Wichita to be closer to their kids. Towne East Square was blocks away and became their new hangout where they met friends every morning for coffee and looked for bargains on Dillards' clearance racks. Garage sales and estate sales also became new adventures. Betty and Pete enjoyed traveling across the country via train and chartered bus trips and often with friends to Las Vegas. Betty's favorite trips were to New Orleans, Times Square, and Narragansett Bay.

Following Pete's death in 2021, Betty moved to Wesley Chapel, Florida to be close to her daughter Sherry, her husband Grant, and their family. Betty lived at the Beach House Assisted Living Facility for almost five years. Betty loved to dance so dances at the Beach House were her favorite activity. She especially loved dancing to "Kansas City" with her physical therapist Charlie. Still seeing herself as young, Betty often questioned why there were so many "old" people living at the Beach House. When moving Betty in to her Memory Care room she ask if we could put polka dots on her "ugly" refrigerator. It happened. That refrigerator kept her daily bottle of Coke cold and her chocolate ice cream close at hand. Alexa kept her in touch. Her cat Chanella kept her company. The Lord kept her safe.

Despite her battle with macular degeneration, hearing loss, dementia, and dentures, Betty never stopped being Betty. She loved wearing Calvin Klein, sweatshirts, her favorite jeans, jewelry, lipstick, and most of all Chanel No. 5. On the day before her death, at almost 93 years old, Betty wanted to go buy pink lipstick.

Betty was pretty, petite and looked cute in her jeans jacket. She was the hip Mom, the cool Grandma, and the Beach House Diva. She had a way of filling up a room with fun, but now the room feels so empty. It's hard to write the conclusion to her life, so here goes using one of Pete's favorite expressions.

"My oh my," she will be missed.

The family thanks the Advent Hospital ICU nurses along with Hospice for their incredible care of Betty during her last hours. It probably wasn't typical by hospital standards but when learning of Mom's love of Coke, and learning only Pepsi was available, the Hospice nurse left the hospital, went next door and came back with Betty's final Coke.

The family also gives thanks to the Beach House staff for their care over the past few years with special thanks to Leslie Little, Rebecca Kerns, Claudia Lopez, Carla Sullivan, Rebecca Bradshaw, Sue Upper, John Smith, Charlie Keenan, resident Clarence Thornton and Christine ("Love") Steinberg.

No service is planned, but please honor Betty's life by donating to your favorite charity.