Betty Lou Whitson died May 15, 2026 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. She was born September 27, 1953 in Oskaloosa. Betty married Dennis Whitson in 1977 having one child together and gaining two stepdaughters, they later divorced.
When Betty was 14, she worked for her father at Lost Creek Coal Mine in Eddyville. She learned to run the dragline and worked in the office. She continued working there on weekends when she was home from Dordt College. She spent a year there where she continued her love of music, singing in the chorus and playing the trumpet in the band. She graduated from Des Moines Area Community College in 1977 with a degree in surgical technologies. She also became a member of the National Surgical Technologies Association. One week after graduating she started her lifelong career at the Davis County Hospital, where she retired in 2009. She was an instructor for Kirkwood Community College, she taught several students her craft of surgical technology. She absolutely loved being an instructor knowing she was helping the career live on in others. She was forced to quit the year COVID-19 hit, she had spent 20 years teaching.
Betty was a member of East End Presbyterian until it closed its doors. While she worshipped there every Sunday, faithfully, she was also the choir director, played the piano and the organ. She continued her worship at Westminster Presbyterian Church and played the organ there as well. She loved the Rod Run life, being a member of Hawkeye Rod and Custom out of Ottumwa. Betty enjoyed helping with the Bologna Nats out of Pella from 1981 until just a few years ago when her breathing worsened so she could no longer do it. She was one of the original founders of Nostalgia Drags at Eddyville Raceway Park. She found the love of bowling when she moved to Ottumwa in 1974. She was inducted into the 2015 Bowling Hall of Fame. She continued to bowl on Thursdays, even if she had to carry her oxygen on her back to do it. She was an extremely busy woman that loved to hunt, fish, camp, sew, knit, crochet and play games.
Betty started quilting in 2009. Over the years she has made beautiful and inspiring quilts and wall hangings. She loved it so much that she could not find it in herself to sell them, instead, she would give them away to the people she felt would cherish them. There are many of her creations floating around, if you see one she always came up with a name for them and posted it on the back bottom corner. She joined the Ottumwa Quilters Guild in 2010. She was invited to show three times at the American Quilters Show, it is a great and prestigious honor to be able to show there. She also showed at the Iowa Quilt Museum, Wapello County Fair, and the Iowa State Fair, winning several best of shows and blue ribbons.
Surviving is her daughter, Jessi (Shawn) Rauscher; a grandson, Jacob Rauscher; great grandson, Xavier Rauscher; sisters, Ruth Hoekstra, Linda (Keith) Vos; nieces, Kimber Moore and Kelly Kovacs; nephews, Joel Hoekstra and Justin Hoekstra; stepdaughters, Brandi King and Carrie Coleman; many step grandchildren; and many great nieces and great nephews. She cherished her family and made sure they all knew it.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Wilma Memmelaar; three infant brothers, Dale, Wayne and James; and a brother-in-law, Robert Hoekstra.
Her body has been cremated. Visitation with her family present to greet friends will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Reece Funeral Home.
Memorial services will be 10 a.m. Friday May 22nd at Westminster Presbyterian Church with Liz Stufflebeem and Becky Payne officiating.
Memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church or Dordt College Music Department or Pulmonary Hypertension Research.
