Betty Louise Elkins Jacobs

Betty Louise Edson Elkins Jacobs was born on July 26, 1927, near South Union Church in Monroe County, Indiana, and passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026, in Bloomington, Ind. She was the daughter of Jesse Maurice Edson. born in Coles County, Ill., on Sept. 13, 1877, and Stella May Edson, born in Monroe County, Ind., on Feb. 1, 1888.

After attending Kirksville School and graduating from Bloomington High School in 1945, Betty began working at Graham Motor Sales in Bloomington, and went on to hold a number of clerical and administrative jobs.

On April 9, 1948, she married Willard George Elkins at South Union Church. They bought a farm on what is now Fluck Mill Road. Her son Stephen Edson Elkins was born on April 20, 1949, followed by Deborah Ann on Oct. 17, 1951, and Brian Keith on Aug. 5, 1955. Willard died in 1991, and in 1995, Betty married William Jacobs. They shared several happy years together with their families until Bill died in 2003.

Betty was a talented seamstress and homemaker, known for her pies. She held a series of clerical positions, including at the Monroe County Clerk's Office and at several insurance companies. In 1967, she began staffing the office at the Woolery Stone Company, a job she held for 25 years. She enjoyed promoting Indiana limestone and visiting sites where Woolery's had sent stone, including the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, in Richmond, Va. She was on location during filming of scenes at Woolery's for the 1979 movie Breaking Away. She was acknowledged, albeit anonymously, as the "lone woman" in the Woolery office in the 1985 book Stone Country, a history of Indiana limestone. After her retirement, Betty enjoyed traveling and quilting, and she was a long-time volunteer in the gift shop at the Bloomington Hospital and at the Monroe County Public Library bookstore.

Betty was a "kinkeeper" who treasured and cultivated connections among many people. For many in her extended family, she was the last of the strong and sustaining stock of her generation. She always enjoyed genealogy and all kinds of family stories, from the tales of her Edson forebears such as "born on a mountaintop" Davy Crockett and Anna Edson Taylor, who survived a barrel ride over Niagara Falls, to lore revealed by son Brian's research tracking the Elkins family back to the early Indiana territory. She could trace all kinds of family webs in the local area, and often proudly repeated son-in-law Perry Anderson's observation that Bill knew everyone in Monroe County and Betty knew how they were all related.

Among the dear friends who sustained her throughout her long life, are her Friday morning Cracker Barrel breakfast group, her home economics club members and her many friends at Clear Creek Christian Church, which she attended for her entire adult life.

In addition to her husbands Willard and Bill, Betty was predeceased by her sisters, Mary Edson Breeden Coleman and Irene Edson Dillard, brothers Paul Edson and Leonard Edson, granddaughter Angela Elkins Schoonover, and stepdaughters Jill Jacobs Anderson (Perry), Betty Jacobs Allen (John) and stepdaughter-in-law, Sharon Jacobs (Ronald).

Survivors include sons Stephen Elkins Sr. (Marti), of Flat Rock, NC; Deborah Elkins Froelich (Nicholas) of Midlothian, Va., and Brian Elkins (Sharon), of Galesburg, Ill.; stepson Ronald Jacobs, of Columbus, Ind., and stepdaughter Jackie Jacobs Axsom (Lee), of Smithville, Ind.

Surviving grandchildren and stepgrandchildren include Erin Elkins (Tomas), Albuquerque, NM, and Stephen Elkins Jr., Aurora, Colo.; Samuel Froelich (Emily), N. Chesterfield,Va., and Philip Froelich, Richmond, Va.; Thomas Elkins, Galesburg, Ill.; Chris Elkins (Guia), Carlsbad, Cal.; and Amy Elkins, Galesburg, Ill.; Kip Jacobs (Megan), Columbus, Ind., and Ava Jacobs Harris (Jason), Columbus, Ind.; Ronald Dean Allen, Mitchell, Ind. and Travis Allen, Davenport, Fla; Kate Anderson Curtis (Bryan) Greenwood, Ind.; Sara Anderson, Erlanger, Ky.; Jennifer Axsom Adler (Warren), Kingsport, Tenn.; Rachel Axsom O'Connor (John), Bloomington, Ind. and Kimberly Axsom Riggins (David), Bloomfield, Ind.

Betty also is survived by numerous great-grandchildren and dear nieces and nephews, especially her beloved nieces Sue May and Nancy Kaster.

The family would like to express its gratitude to staff and caregivers of Bell Trace Senior Living Center, Bell Trace Health and Living and Paradigm Health Hospice for all their care and concern.

Visitation will be held at Allen Funeral Home (4155 S. Old State Road 37, Bloomington, IN 47401), on Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 11-1pm, with the funeral service at 1pm. Burial will follow at Clear Creek Cemetery.

For those wishing to make a memorial contribution in lieu of flowers, please designate donation to Clear Creek Christian Church for maintenance of the historic church building.