Betty M. McQuarrie

CARBONDALE - Betty M. McQuarrie, formerly of Peoria, died Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008, in Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

She was born April 15, 1918, in Peoria to Cecil and Gustav Hoffmann. She married Harold R. McQuarrie on Oct. 2, 1943, in Duluth, Minn. He preceded her in death.

Betty has a loving family that includes sons Neil, of Ann Arbor, Mich., Keith and daughter-in-law, Sandy Semrow, of Carbondale, and stepson Hugh and Alberta Carroll of Hanna City. Betty has two grandsons, Andrew of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Christopher of Chicago, and five stepgrandchildren, Merrell of Peoria, Howie of Melbourne, Australia, Doug of St Charles Mo., and Nancy of Wentzville, Mo. She also has 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Her daughter-in-law, Carol Buenaga, and stepson, John, preceded her in death.

Betty graduated from Bradley Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science degree June 12, 1939. She was a member of the P.E.O.

Betty loved life and sharing with others. Over the years, she was involved in many activities. She volunteered during the holidays, delivering meals for the South Side Mission in Peoria. For many years, she read for the blind on the Radio Information Service at Bradley University. She was instrumental in staffing the annual "Santa's Children's Store" for the Crittenton Crisis Nursery and also volunteered her time at the Nursery caring for displaced infants and toddlers. Later, she volunteered to tutor reading for young students at Franklin School.

Betty was a founding member and the first president of the Peoria chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild. For many years, she was an active member of the Peoria Area Stitchers Guild. Her needlework won many awards and is treasured by friends and family. In 1994 she was selected to stitch an ornament for the White House Christmas tree, an honor awarded to very few people.

Another love of her life was travel. Over the years, Betty made many trips to such places as Australia, New Zealand, Bora Bora, South America, Canada and Alaska. She traveled to Europe and twice led tours for those interested in the antiques of France.

Growing up in Peoria, she learned to fish with her father, Gus. She had a lifelong love of fishing and spent every summer with her family in northern Minnesota, fishing in the Boundary Waters of Voyager National Park. Her last trip was a year ago when, at the age of 89, she could still hold her own. In 1967, while on a half-day fishing charter in Hawaii, Betty hooked and landed a 223-pound marlin. She also enjoyed golf and won several trophies for her efforts.

Per her request, she will be cremated and there will be no local services. Burial will be in Crane Lake, Minn., at a later date.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, Southern Illinois Radio Information Service, SIU-C, Mail Code 6602, Carbondale, IL 62901 or Radio Information Service of Peoria, 1501 W. Bradley Ave, Peoria, IL 61625.

Crain Pleasant Grove-Murdale Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

To leave online condolences, visit www.crainsonline.com.