Elizabeth Jane Kline

1934 - 2025

Elizabeth Jane (May) Kline, "Betsy" to those who knew and loved her, was born April 19, 1934, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and passed away peacefully to her Heavenly home on October 1, 2025, surrounded by the love of her four children. She was 91 years old.
Betsy was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. After the passing of her beloved brother John "Jack" when she was only 9 years old, and her mother when she was only 15 years old, she attended boarding school in Winston-Salem, NC, where she enjoyed being the captain of the soccer team and president of many clubs. Her father passed away when she was only 17. She then attended junior college in Jacksonville, Florida, where she met her future husband and love of her life, Charles Alvin "Chuck" Kline. Betsy later earned her RN degree at St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in Jacksonville, Florida. She was very proud of this accomplishment.
After their marriage in 1958, Betsy and Chuck moved to Kirksville, Missouri, a place she always considered home. She practiced nursing before raising their family there. She continued to volunteer with the American Red Cross and at Mary Immaculate Catholic School and Church. She resided in Columbia, Missouri at the time of her passing.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 67 years, Charles Alvin Kline, who had passed just six months prior; her mother, Estelle Marie (Wood) May; her grandfather "papa" John R. Wood; her father, John "Jack" Allen May; her brother, Jack May; her sister, Virginia "Giggie" (May) Workman; and her grandson, Daxton Charles Kline.
Betsy is survived by her children: Annette Marie Kline Robbins (Michael) of Columbia, MO, Michael Charles Kline (Kimberly) of Garland, TX, Patricia Lynn Kline Putnam of St. Charles, MO, and James Andrew Kline (Deborah) of Fuquay Varina, NC. She was a cherished grandmother to Hannah, Daxton, Robert (Zoe), Margaret (Alex), Ethan (Kylee), Eliza, Dustin (Karie), Adam, Jacqueline, Lynsey, Olivia (Chase), and Julian (Sarah). She is also survived by her loving great-grandchildren: Canon, Sophia, Ana, Arya and Rowan; all of whom brought her great joy.
She was known to many for her boundless love for her family, her devotion to her husband, her caring and funny personality, her comforting hugs and her beautiful warm smile. To her family, Betsy was the rock that grounded and tied them together. As the heart of the family, her greatest wish was that her children remain close. In her honor, we will carry on her legacy together with the love she showered us with. Her marriage to Chuck showed us all what a marriage should be and was truly a great love story.
Betsy loved chocolate, spoon bread, going barefoot in the summer, fresh air, the feel of the sun on her face, the beach, knitting, quilting, cross-stitching, playing games, but most of all, time with her family. She will be remembered for her gentle strength, her steadfast faith in her family, and the many ways she touched the lives of those around her. Her presence was a constant source of comfort, and her legacy will live on in the generations she so dearly loved.
For one who lost so much at such an early age, our mother would not be defined by her tragedies. She chose to devote herself to her family, providing a loving home that she herself only had for a brief time. She willingly placed the needs and desires of others before her own; and in doing so, created the family that she had always dreamed of.
Rest in peace Momma. All the love.
Elizabeth will be buried with her loving husband at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville, Missouri on Friday October 10, 2025, at a private family service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, Kirksville, Missouri.