Betty J. Fankhauser

Betty June Wilson Fankhauser, long-time Chase County resident, died in Emporia, Kansas Monday, May 3rd three days from her 89th birthday. Betty was born May 6, 1932 at Enid, Oklahoma, the daughter of Archie and Hilda Rank Wilson.  She graduated from Nash High School in 1950 and Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1954. She did post graduate work at Emporia State Teachers College, now Emporia State University. The 1954/55 school year she taught Home Economics at Gridley, Kansas.

Betty married Verne E. Fankhauser at Nash, Oklahoma on June 5, 1955 and they moved to a farm near Elmdale, Kansas. She taught elementary school at Cedar Point, Strong City and Cottonwood Falls for 10 years and was elementary school librarian for Chase County for 20 years retiring in 1992.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Verne, in 2011, her parents, and sister, Olive Myrick. She is survived by her son, Darrell Fankhauser of Overland Park, Kansas, daughter, Carol (Larry) Kohr, of Elmdale, Kansas; four grandchildren, Jacob (Brittney) Fankhauser, Aaron (Melissa) Fankhauser, Joshua (Kristin) Kohr and Jessica (Richard) Conkling, and 11 great grandchildren, Reid, Ryleigh, Taylor, Ethan, Drake, Emma, Brody, Ryan, Reese, Jordyn and Kolbi.

Betty was a member of the Elmdale United Methodist Church, serving as social concerns chairman for 20 years planning funeral dinners and sending cards. She typed the church bulletins for many years. She was a member of the United Methodist Women and taught Sunday School and Bible School. She was a member of the Alpha Study Club serving as president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer many times and typed the year books.  She was a member of the National Education Association, Kansas Educational Association, Chase County Teachers Association, of which she was an officer for nine years and Kansas Association of School Librarians, the Chase County Historical Society and the Fankhauser/Funkhauser Association, serving as secretary for many years. She volunteered as librarian at the Chase County Senior Center.

After retiring, Verne and Betty spent 18 winters in Mesa, Arizona. Betty was street representative for South Fourth Street at Mesa Regal RV Resort for five years.

Verne and Betty loved to travel starting when their children were young with a pickup camper and after the children left home they traveled throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico by motorcycle.  They also made several trips abroad.

The funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 8, 2021, at the Elmdale United Methodist Church. The visitation will be Friday evening May 7, 2021 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Brown-Bennett- Alexander Funeral Home, Cottonwood Falls. A memorial has been established with the Elmdale United Methodist Church and the Chase County Senior Center in care of Brown Bennett Alexander, PO Box 220 Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845.

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