Betty Jean Dawes

JOHNSTON CITY - Betty Jean Dawes, 79, passed away Sunday, July 29, 2007, at her family home.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007, in Murman and Wilson Funeral Home in Johnston City, with the Rev. Matt Crain officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery in Johnston City. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, 2007, at the funeral home.

Betty Jean Snedden was born April 1, 1928, the daughter of Benjamin Lafayette and Maggie Mae Britton Snedden at 1109 Gent Street in Johnston City. She was the fourth child of this union, and Dr. Green was the attending doctor. She attended Washington School in Johnston City for eight years, entering Sept. 2, 1933, and graduating May 30, 1941. She then entered Johnston City High School in September of 1941, where she attended for four years and graduated in May of 1945. She played in the school band from sixth grade to the end of high school. She played clarinet and was the art editor for the high school paper, "Wigwam News," for the last two years. After graduating from high school, she went to Chicago and got a job at the Merchandise Mart building as a key punch operator for war bonds for eight months. She quit and went to work at Stewart Werner and made instrument dials for bomber planes. After she quit there, she came back to Southern Illinois and went to work at Sangamo Electric, where she soldered lead wires to condensers for two and a half years.

She is survived by her husband, Robert Lee Dawes, whom she married Dec. 24, 1947, in Methodist Parsonage in Johnston City, with the Rev. Homer Young officiating. They were united in marriage for 59 years and seven months.

Other survivors include three sons, Douglas Dale, Randy Benjamin and wife, Melody, and Garry Wayne and wife, Connie; one brother, Jay Snedden and wife, Joyce; nephews and nieces, Carl Fleming and wife, Edna, Shirley Barnett and husband, La-Von, Judy Bauer, Jim Fleming and wife, Ann, Marsha, Debbie, Kathy, Karen, Donna and Mary Beth Snedden. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Michelle Herrell and husband, John, Randy Ben Dawes and wife, Abbey, Douglas Dale Dawes Jr., Michael Dawes and wife, Tabby, Emily Duncan and husband, Ryan, Amanda Rady and husband, Scott, Brandi Dawes and Amber Dawes; and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Bobby Gene; one great-grandchild, Olivia Nicole Rady; and three brothers, Paul Fleming, Ben Snedden Jr. and infant brother, Annis Leroy Snedden.

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