Betty Overley

Betty Overley, 89, of Manhattan, passed away Wednesday, September 18 at Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community. Betty Charlene Warren Overley was born September 26, 1923, to Hazel Fern (Donaldson) and William W. Warren. Betty grew up on the family farm five miles west of Garnett, Kansas. She attended Centennial, a one-room school, grades 1-8, and graduated from Garnett High School in 1941. She took the Normal Training course in high school, and taught the next five years in nearby country schools, first Lingo, then Spring Branch. Through summer school classes, she earned a year of college credit, then enrolled at Kansas State College, Manhattan. She joined the Clovia sorority, and was active in the Collegiate 4-H Club. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics in 1949. She worked the following year as a county extension agent, then married Carl Benjamin Overley, August 19, 1950. She lived in Manhattan the rest of her life. In 1962 their first son, Alan Warren, was born. He died two days later. In 1965, soon after he was born, Betty and Carl joyfully adopted Lee Carl, their only surviving child. Betty was very involved in PTA, Boy Scouts, and other activities with Lee. Although Betty did not work away from home full time after her marriage, she worked part time for the Kansas State Extension Service for a number of years, frequently judging exhibits at state fairs. When she was in high school Betty worked at the Garnett Greenhouse, and retained her love of flowers and her skill in arranging them throughout her life. She enjoyed gardening until she and Carl moved to Meadowlark Hills in 2000. Betty had numerous medical problems throughout her stay at Meadowlark, and spent her last five years in Honstead House, an acute care facility there. She died September 18, 2013, at Meadowlark with her family around her. Her son Lee, daughter-in-law Babbett Kathryn, granddaughters Nicole, Brianna, and Rachel, a grandson Dustin, and sister Jeanne Warren Lindsay survive her. A visitation is scheduled from 9am to 8pm Monday, September 22 at Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home with the family present from 6pm to 8pm. Memorial services are Tuesday, September 24, 10am at the Harris Activity Center Chapel, with Pastor Melanie Martin officating. Arrangements are entrusted to Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Betty Overley Memorial Fund and may be left in the care of the funeral home.