Betty Lou Smith's Obituary
Betty Lou Weseman Smith, 86, of Sachse Texas passed on December 20, 2022. She was born on June 26,1936 in Wichita Falls, Texas to Lewis Weseman and Viola Thornton Weseman. Betty was greeted joyfully in heaven by her late husband Dennis Gerald Smith, Jr., her loving parents and her sister Shirley Ann Stacy.
Betty graduated from Ysleta high school in El Paso, Texas. She met her husband Dennis while he was stationed at Ft Bliss Army base and they married in 1957. After Dennis’ military tour was complete, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri and began raising their family. In 1965, they moved the family to Dallas, Texas and remained in the north Texas area until her death.
Betty was a homemaker and stay-at-home mother for her three children in their early years. After the children finished high school, she began teaching at Montessori schools and worked to receive her Associates degree in Early Childhood Development. A few years later, she began a career with Dallas College (formerly named DCCCD) that spanned 25+ years working in the admissions office at Richland and Eastfield. While working at Richland, she obtained a second Associates degree in Floral Design which she then parlayed into a part time business. She attended many craft shows and Christmas markets over several years to sell her custom designed creations.
Betty had a love of travel which started in the early 70’s with many family camping trips. Most of those trips were adventures through the many National Parks of the Southwest and West from the Rockies to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, across to the Redwoods and Sequoias and the coast of California back through the Grand Canyon and deserts of the West. The 90’s trips included Hawaii, Alaska, Canada and Europe. Then in the early 2000’s she had close girlfriends who were also widows (AKA The YaYa Sisters) and adventures included trips all over the Hill Country, New England, the West coast and the Bayou towns of Louisiana.
In 2005, after being widowed for 12 years, Betty sold the family home of 39 years in Lake Highlands and moved to Sachse where she lived for an additional 17 years. She is survived by her three kids and their spouses: Mike Smith (Cindy Pierce), Shannon Smith (Bobby Kempe) and Chris Smith (Sally Smith). She is also survived by her niece Kim Stacy Warner along with cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many extended family members.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a children’s hospital of your choice.
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