Betty Herl

Obituary



Faced with the Possibility of Another Election Cycle, Elizabeth (Betty) Jean (Younger) Herl age 91, formerly of Ellis, Kansas, Chose to Pass into the Eternal Love of God Sunday, August 28, 2022

And Here Comes Betty!

Betty was born April 17, 1931, to Helen and Jerome Younger who were German immigrants from the Volga River region of Russia. Betty attended Ellis High School and soon married the ridiculously handsome Eugene Adair Herl in 1948 after he returned from service during WWII. With gorgeous black hair and brown eyes, this head-turning war veteran was no match for Bettys heart. Betty was no slouch either she was a "real looker." She was always dressed to the nines and wouldnt be caught dead wearing a pair of sweatpants while shopping at Walmartzzz (how she forever and appropriately pronounced it).

Saw the Beauty in Everything

It was common to be with Betty and watch her good nature, kindness and infectious laugh rub off on everyone. She would often tell cashiers what beautiful hair they have and continue with questions as to how they fixed it. The hospice nurses who took care of Betty toward the end of her life faced a potential territory change where they could lose Betty and they fought like hell to keep her as their patient. Her pulmonologist had a secret crush on her, and she once told her eye doctor that she had a great rack. It was the easiest thing to love and laugh with Betty.

Never Minced Words with Her Family

On the other hand, Betty was world renowned for telling her family members like it is. You could be one bad haircut away from getting a full critique. She was a master of telling you your outfit wasnt up to snuff and yet you were grateful for her candor. "I can and will do better" was the mantra each family member would walk away with. And even though it sounds like she may have been hard on her family, she exercised the same kind of assessment of herself. She held those around her and herself to the highest standard and made us all better for it.

Is that Roast or Beef Jerky?

Betty was a master chef in the kitchen. Her cucumber salad, cottage cheese salad, tuna burgers, galewskis, dumplings & green beans, canned pickles and homemade pies were to die for. However, she had one weakness, and that was over cooking a roast. If left unattended because of farm wife duties, that piece of meat became hard to distinguish between shoe leather or beef jerky, but we ate it anyways because us kids did not know any different and she never let us down otherwise.

Betty Sure Knew Her Wrestling Moves

Any spectator of a sporting event with a Herl kid involved was worth the price of admission just to watch Betty. When her son Mitchell was wrestling for the state title, she channeled her extra energy on Mitchells opponent. She unknowingly grabbed her nearby daughter Michelle and placed her into a full nelson on the spot while Mitchell simultaneously pinned his opponent. It was epic! It was entertaining! It was full-on Betty!

Creative Extraordinaire

Betty was a master seamstress. She made all her daughters clothes and made much of her own. She had exquisite taste and the juxtaposition of Betty in a Vogue outfit against the backdrop of the Western Kansas plains is unforgettable. Betty was skilled at drawing and painting but abandoned the pursuit of a college degree in Art after the loss of her children Stephen (5 years) and Becky (3 years). She shifted her energy into raising her family and taught herself how to crochet and later quilting, which led to the creation of hundreds of items.

Voracious Reader and News Junkie

Betty was obsessed with reading everything she could get her hands on. She would read books authored by Ann Coulter who is a right-wing conservative media pundit. On the other extreme, she would read Michael Moore who is an author and left-wing activist. If asked why she would read such a wide spectrum, she would always say, "You need to understand each side to have a healthy, intelligent debate." Betty loved the invention of the 24-hour cable news cycle.

Whaat! Whaat! Whaat!

Betty started losing her hearing in her mid-50s. We thought she was purposely ignoring us but unfortunately some bad Younger hearing genes, as well as the exposure to Big Band music and loud farming equipment did those ear drums in. To be around mom, would mean exposing your own ear drums to crushingly loud decibels of sound. None of us cared though, because we all knew that losing your hearing can be one of the most isolating things to happen. She loved good conversation and all genres of music, so this loss was real. However, she always kept the most positive attitude and was optimistic about each and every day. One of Bettys most famous lines was, "Dont Always Take Yourself So Seriously."

To say Betty will be sorely missed is an understatement. Betty is pre-deceased by her husband Eugene Adair Herl. She is survived by children Jay Herl and wife Kristy of Shawnee Kansas; Jacqueline Lindstrom and husband John of Maplewood, New Jersey; Mitch Herl and wife Linda of South Jordan, Utah; Michelle Herl of Leawood, Kansas; E.G. Herl and wife Stephanie of Overland Park, Kansas. She has 2 deceased children Stephen and Rebecca Herl. Betty is also survived by 12 grandchildren who were the center of her world: Katy Herl Cassaw, Becky Herl, Nick Herl, Carly Rhodes, Austin Herl, Jena Lindstrom, John Luke Lindstrom, Jake Herl, Ty Herl, Jackson Bunte, Henry Bunte, Maxwell Bunte; and five great grandchildren under the age of 12; Mikhail, Paisley, Bailey, Piper and Reidun born the following day of Bettys death! True Miracle.

"I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born." says the Lord (Isaiah 66.9)

Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Friday, September 2, 2022 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ellis. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be 9:30 until service time at the church.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Kansas City Hospice House (www.kchospice.org/hospice-house/)

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com

Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, Kansas 67601.

















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