Bette Jane Meakins, age 89, of Thomson, Illinois, passed away Saturday, December 6, 2008, at Mercy Medical Center, Clinton, Iowa surrounded by her loving family. A Memorial Service will be held 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Thomson, with Dr. Arthur Donart officiating. Inurnment will be in Lower York Cemetery. Visitation will be 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Thomson. A Memorial fund has been established in Bette’s memory.
Bette was born September 18, 1919, in Thomson, the daughter of Bayard and Amy (Groharing) Lewis. She was a 1937 graduate of York Community High School, a 5th generation Thomsonian, and a descendent of George Soule of the “Mayflower.” On October 30, 1937, Bette married Cecil Frosch. She later married Max Meakins in 1959, with whom she danced for 35 years until his death in 1994. Bette was active in her community, serving for 21 years as Village Clerk of Thomson. She was a member of the Savanna Women of the Moose, the Carroll Chapter DAR, the PTA, the Thomson Methodist Church and many other organizations. She loved to bake cookies and play euchre and, for most of her life, made a point of getting up in time to finish cleaning her house in time to watch the Cubs on TV. In her last years, she took great pleasure in hosting coffee each morning for “her girls.”
Left to remember her are her loving family: two daughters, Luanne (Lawrence) Bruckner, of Thomson, Teresa (Eric) Linn of Pueblo West, Colorado; two sons, Lewis Frosch of Thomson, Larry Joe (Janice) Frosch of Morris, Illinois; eight grandchildren: Jeffrey Frosch, Jason Frosch, Matthew Henneman, Amie Henneman Callahan, Heidi Henneman, Brianna Bruckner, Jeremy Linn and Tyler Oliver; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Bette is preceded in death by her husband, Max; grandson, Lawrence Lloyd Bruckner II; three sisters, Ramona Lewis Thompson, Roberta Lewis Wilhelm, and Dorothe Lewis; a brother, Robert Lewis; and her special friends Florence Melendy and Jean St. Ores.