Betty Jean Smith

Betty Jean Smith, age 89, of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, passed away Monday, August 14, 2017, at the Good Samaritan Society, Mt. Carroll. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, August 18, 2017 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. Burial will take place in Bethel Cemetery, Milledgeville. A visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Thursday, August 17, 2017 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. A memorial fund has been established in Betty’s memory.

Betty was born February 1, 1928, the daughter of Ralph and Iris (Elder) Horning in Redfield, Kansas. She attended school in Uniontown, Kansas and graduated with the Class of 1945. Betty married Billy Smith on October 20, 1946 in Mount Orum, Kansas. They celebrated 54 years of marriage until Billy’s death in 2001.

Betty farmed with her husband, and also worked at Elkay Manufacturing as a welder for 26 years until retirement. Betty was a longtime member of the Chadwick Evangelical Free Church, serving as a past Deaconess. She enjoyed gardening, crafting, sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, and woodworking.

Betty will be dearly missed by four daughters, Jeanette Ames of Marana, Arizona, Linda (Jerry) Pritchett of Hamilton, Missouri, Brenda (Melvin) Gable of Savanna, Illinois and Dawn (Tom) Spahr of Claremore, Oklahoma; 15 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; and one sister, Ernestine (Arlo) Eden of Fort Scott, Kansas.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Billy; two grandchildren, Timothy Gable and Jennifer Mongan; one great-grandson, Will Dobish; and a brother, Willis Horning.