Betty Zenger

Family will greet friends and family from 5pm to 7pm on Friday at the funeral home.

Betty L. (Burt) Zenger, age 84, passed away Tuesday, January 27, 2015 surrounded by her family at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan, Kansas after a lengthy illness. She will be forever remembered by sons: Steve and wife Micki, Haddam, Rex and wife Mitzi, Manhattan; daughter Kathi Stenfors and husband Bill, Manhattan; seven grandchildren: Josh Zenger and Heidi, Jared Zenger and Tahra, Jordan Zenger, Sara (Zenger) Johnson and Jay, Becky (Zenger) Johnson and Andy, Holly (Stenfors) Irvine and John, Jay Stenfors and Sarah; fifteen great-grandchildren, her sister Doris Ford, Manhattan, brother and sister-in-law Weldon and Sharon Zenger, Manhattan; sisters-in-law Janice Zenger, Haddam and Dorothy (Arlie) Cox, Cuba; many nieces, nephews, and friends. Betty is preceded in death by her husband Wesley “Babe” in August of 2014; her parents; brother Edwin Burt, two infant brothers, and one great grand-daughter. Betty Louise was born to Judson and Loretta (Teeter) Burt December 18, 1930 in Belleville, Kansas. She attended school at Haddam and graduated in 1948. Betty and Babe were high school sweethearts and married June 1, 1950. They had 64 blessed years together living and farming west of Haddam where Betty had grown up. Betty was born a teacher and started as early as high school substituting at Haddam Grade School. Through her 38 year teaching career, she taught in Nebraska at Rose Creek and Dry Branch country schools, Thompson and Reynolds. In Kansas she taught in Cuba, Belleville, and Haddam. She continued to substitute for 17 years after retirement in 1996. Betty was innovative and creative in her teaching, having been the first kindergarten teacher for both Cuba and Haddam. With her musical talent, she wrote and directed numerous Christmas and music programs. Always working on her college degree, she received her diploma from Fort Hays State University in 1979 after all three of her children were college graduates. Betty’s loves were family, home, teaching, gardening, and her shoes! Nothing was better that a day of shopping and of course buying at least one new pair of shoes. She was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church of Haddam where she was the organist for many years. Betty’s legacy is the many lives that she affected in the classroom, including four of her grandchildren, her strength, positive attitude, and faith.

Funeral services were held Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the United Methodist Church, Haddam, Kansas with Pastor Randy Jellison-Knock officiating. Burial was in the Haddam City Cemetery. Memorials may be made in Betty’s memory to the Haddam Church or the Good Shepherd Hospice House of Manhattan. Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, Belleville, Kansas assisted the Zenger family with these arrangements.