Betty F. Smith

Betty Florence Smith, 87, passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the Olathe Medical center on January 26, 2012. Betty was born November 23, 1924 in Trimley St. Mary United Kingdom to Thomas Smith and Maggie Wilby Smith. At the age of 14, Betty left home to work at Fleethouse School in Felixtowe, England. Betty then later joined the war effort at the age of 18 and went to Chelmsford near London and worked in a munitions factory making rocket shells and bullets used in World War II. The Factory was often the target of German bombing and often evacuated for air raids. She worked many years of her life in the fashion industry doing retail sales of wedding and evening gowns. Shortly after her husband passed in 1991, she moved to the United States to join her daughter Sarah and family in Warrensburg, Missouri and helped raise her grandson Max. She spent time living with her family in Dayton, Ohio and in 2001 settled with them in Paola, Kansas. She spent the last 10 years of her life as a Foster Grandparent at Cottonwood Elementary school working with children. One of her goals was to be working at the school when her granddaughter started kindergarten in 2009. She remained there until the end of Anna's first grade year. In 2011, she began helping a few hours a week with the morning-out for mothers program and finally retired later in 2011. Betty always liked to be out and about and on the move. She liked to dress well and always looked her best. She enjoyed travel and visited many different countries of the world including yearly trips back home to England to spend time with family and friends. Betty leaves behind a brother Dick Smith; daughters Sue Gascoigne of Ipswich, UK and Sarah Wheeler of Paola, Kansas; grandchildren Paul Gascoigne, Leslie Gascoigne and Lindsy Cotterell of Ipswich, UK, Max Grattan and Anna Wheeler of Paola Kansas; great grandchildren Jake Gascoigne, Abbie Gascoigne, Jamie Gascoigne, Mollie Gascoigne, Jack Gascoigne and Hollie Gascoigne of Ipswich UK; and one new baby great great granddaughter Leila Michelle Gascoigne of Trimly, UK. The family will be having a memorial gathering for Betty at the Paola American Legion on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 6-8 pm. As per her wishes her family will be taking her home to the coast of England.