Betty Sue Meyer

1939 - 2023

Betty Sue Meyer
April 17, 1939 - August 23, 2023
Blue Springs, Missouri - Funeral arrangements for Betty Sue Meyer are set for Friday, September 1, 2023 at St. John LaLande Catholic Church. Her family will receive family and friends from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 11:30 a.m., Fr Don Farnan presiding. Inurnment will take place at a later time. The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Gentiva Hospice The Gentiva Foundation (gentivahs.com) or Band of Angels Donate (bandofangels.org) Meyers Funeral Chapel in Blue Springs has been entrusted with arrangements. Memories of Betty and words of comfort for her family may be shared at meyersfuneralchapel.com
Betty Sue Henks, a lifelong musician, was born in the small town of Norborne, MO on April 17, 1939. After having two sons, her parents, Bill and Bessie Henks were excited to welcome their first surviving daughter.
Betty Sue learned to play the piano at an early age and went on to become a teacher herself during her later teen years. This was to be the beginning of her lifelong passion as a teacher of music. Betty also learned to play the clarinet and performed in the Norborne High School Pirate Band, as well as many local concerts, and district and state music festivals.
Betty graduated from Norborne High School in May 1957 and entered college at what was then named Central Missouri State Teachers College in Warrensburg, MO. It was no surprise that she decided to major in instrumental music and graduated in May 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education degree. During her years in college, she participated in the local Newman Club for Catholic college students at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Warrensburg. It was there that she met the love of her life, Ted Meyer.
Betty and Ted wed on June 3, 1961, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Norborne, MO, and moved to Blue Springs, MO to begin their family. Both became teachers in the Kansas City Public Schools with Betty as a traveling music teacher and Ted employed at Paseo High School then later moving to Van Horn High School. While starting their teaching careers, they attended CMSC together to complete their Masters Degrees.
As they settled into their new life in their tiny upstairs apartment, they began to talk about starting a business in Blue Springs, so they drove around town and surveyed the active businesses. The choices came down to either an ice cream shop or a music store, and the rest is history! Meyer Music was established in 1966 and is still active today in Blue Springs, North Kansas City and Overland Park, Kansas. They were always grateful to their landlord who took a chance on this young couple and agreed to provide them with a startup loan.
Betty and Ted both continued to teach in Kansas City until the store became profitable enough that they decided it was time for Betty to stop teaching and run Meyer Music full time which included teaching many private piano lessons for the next several years. A few years later Ted decided to leave teaching and join her in running Meyer Music full-time.
Betty and Ted started their family in 1962 with their first son Tom. They later welcomed their daughter Julie in 1963, son Mike in 1967, and daughter Mitzi in 1973. All their children are college graduates. Julie became a school music teacher, while the other three children became a part of Meyer Music where they continue to work today.
Ted and Betty are members of St. John LaLande Catholic Church where Betty played the organ for many years. Their strong faith has kept them in attendance together along with family baptisms, communions, and weddings for over sixty years.
Betty was an active community leader and servant for so many organizations. She received numerous awards and recognitions such as Outstanding Young Woman of Blue Springs by the Jaycees and Citizen of the Year by the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce. Betty and Ted were selected as the Citizens of the Year by Truman Heartland Community Foundation as well.
Betty passed on to her heavenly reward on August 23, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.
Betty is survived by her husband of 62 years, Ted Meyer of Blue Springs, MO, and her children; Tom (Susan) of Blue Springs, MO; Julie (Paul) Anwander of Blue Springs, MO; Mike (Johnna) Meyer of Overland Park, KS; and Mitzi (Patrick) Phelan of Liberty, MO, as well as 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, Bill Henks of Lee's Summit, MO and her sister Pat Henks Hatley of Blue Springs, MO.
She was preceded in death by her infant son, her parents Bill and Bessie Hanks of Norborne, MO, her brother Richard Henks and her sister Rose Kallenberger-McDaneld both of Norborne, MO.