Betty J. Engle

Betty Jean Engle, 98, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

She was born on the family farm near Hopkins, April 30, 1925; the fourth of six daughters to Ula Morehouse and Inez (Lawler) Morehouse.

She is survived by her sister, Ruth (Morehouse) Hinton; her daughter, Laurie (Engle) Marlowe; son-in-law, Christian Marlowe; granddaughter, MacKenzie Marlowe and husband, Sam Schlenker and granddaughter, Grace Marlowe.

Blessed with a lovely voice, Betty often sang at social events and school gatherings as a child and young adult. After graduating high school she moved to Kansas City and worked as a secretary at Pratt Whitney, facilitating the production of airplane engines used during WW2.

At the conclusion of the war, she married Navy Specialist 2nd Class John Thomas Engle, Sheridan,  on February 22, 1947 at the Methodist Church in Maryville. The couple eventually purchased a farm west of Hopkins, where they resided for 60 years. After losing their first child, John David at birth, the couple welcomed son, Stephen (1950) and daughter, Laurie (1963). In 2008 they celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary.

In addition to assisting with the farm and raising her children, Betty greatly enjoyed big band dancing. For many years, she and John traveled the nearby countryside to attend local dances. After John passed, Betty moved to Maryville and continued two-stepping her way into peoples’ hearts well into her 90s at the Nodaway County Senior Center on Saturday nights. In 2019, she moved to Centennial, CO, where she spent her final years with her daughter and son-in-law.

The family will hold a graveside memorial service at 10:30 am, Saturday June 8, at the Hopkins Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Nodaway County Senior Center.