Cloudy, 53° F
(Aug. 19, 1918 - June 4, 2010)Jane Elizabeth “Betty” Derry died Friday, June 4, 2010.
She was born to Louis and Bella Frick on Aug. 19, 1918, in the small coal-mining town of Chittyville, Ill. She was the third of nine children.
Betty attended Greenville College in Illinois, where she met her future husband Robert “Bob” Derry. She taught school for one year before moving to Wyoming to get married.
Her life was defined by hard work on the family farm. She was a scrupulous businesswoman and set an example of living conservatively. Betty enjoyed gardening, cake decorating and crocheting. She also liked to travel and took many trips throughout the U.S.
She was an active volunteer and was the superintendant of the open-class home economics exhibits at the Park County Fair for many years. She was also a 4-H cooking and sewing leader, passing on her skills to numerous young women.
Betty was very involved with the Willwood Women's Club and the Republican Women's Club. She was a lifelong member of the Harvest Community Church of the Nazarene.
Survivors include her children, Gary Derry of Evanston, Floyd Derry (Mary) of Powell, and Judy Prewitt (Mike) of Casper; six grandchildren: Melissa Hefenieder (Bob) of Worland, Angela Thro (Jim) of St. Charles, Mo., Laura Derry of Anchorage, Alaska, Tim Derry of Powell, Kyle Prewitt (Joanna) of Las Vegas, Nev., Keri Prewitt of Spearfish, S.D., and Kale Prewitt of Casper; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Alice Smith of Herrin, Ill., Velma Boner, also of Herrin, Marie Basler of Marion, Ill., and Vera Bares of Biloxi, Miss; one brother, Rev. Louis Frick (Shirley) of Vandalia, Ill.; sisters-in-law Irene Frick of Indianapolis, Ind., and Fern Frick of Mt. Vernon, Ill.; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Robert; a newborn child, Alice Jane in 1943; and three brothers, Harry Burt, Ed Frick and Jack Frick.
There will be a memorial service on Saturday, July 3, 2010, at 2 p.m. at the Harvest Community Church of the Nazarene. Memorial contributions may be made to Harvest Community Church of the Nazarene, 364 West Park Street, Powell, WY 82435.
