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04/28/2016 - Ava Diffendaffer Betson
A memorial service for Ava Iola Diffendaffer Betson will be at 2:00 PM on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at the Ponderosa Villa in Crawford, NE with coffee and brownies (because she loved them) following the service.
A memorial has been established in her memory for the Crawford Fire Hall Building Fund.
Ava came into this life on February 8, 1922 in rural Nebraska between Minatare and Bayard on the family farm, the third child of James Alfred Diffendaffer and Mary Augusta (Ward) Diffendaffer.
She left this world to be with those she loved and who died prior to her passing on April 26, 2016 in Crawford, NE.
She worked with her siblings on the family farm. She was an excellent student who loved to read. She attended “Nine-mile” country school and graduated from Scottsbluff High School in 1939. Following high school, she attended Chadron Normal School, later teaching in Banner, Sheridan and Dawes Counties.
While teaching in District #1, Dawes County, NE she became acquainted with the Betson boys. After meeting Collis J. Betson in the Crawford Hardware Store, a relationship blossomed and they were married on July 12, 1944 choosing their wedding date because they were rained out and couldn’t work in the field. Her sister, Bernice, and brother-in-law Gerald Harris were witnesses to the beginning of this marriage that lasted 69 and a half years.
In 1946, they purchased the Betson family homestead that they called home for 41 years. During the years on the ranch, they were blessed with four children: Diana born prior to moving to the homestead, Kerry in 1949, Rhonda in 1950 and Mark in 1952. Ava was a prolific gardener, seamstress, lover of nature, artist, life-long learner, and baker of angel food cakes and world renowned, coveted chocolate chip cookies. Through all of this, she was a lady, always setting an example for her children. Ava was a member of PenWomen, Bordeaux Art Society and the art clubs in Box Butte and Scottsbluff.
Ava and Collis retired from the homestead in 1987 and moved to Chadron, where they traveled and were active in the community and Methodist Church. Ava continued her artistry, being featured Nebraska Cattlemen Magazine and many other publications and venues. They attended family events with great pride and enjoyment.
Ava was preceded in death by her husband (2014), an infant daughter and her parents and siblings (Eldon, Bernice Harris, Don, Sid and Arla Jean Helser).
She is survived by a great cloud of witnesses: children and their spouses Diana L. Betson Broestl (Ed) of Berthoud, CO, Kerry J. Betson Griffiths (James) of Midwest City, OK, Rhonda K. Betson Eddy (Rob) of Lincoln, NE, and Mark D. Betson (Myrna Sternhagen) of Crawford, NE; grandchildren Pat Griffiths of Dickinson, ND, Ron Betson (Marisa Garner) of Crawford, NE, Becky Wendland (Jeff) of Crawford, NE, Russ Eddy (Colleen Self) of Omaha, NE, Cindy Harris (Randy Harris) of Choctaw, OK, Jeremy Broestl (Charlotte Bell) of Erie, CO, Joy Pitts of Crawford, NE, Jolene Griffiths of Midwest City, OK, and Kent Broestl (Erin Haddix) of Columbus, OH; 20 great-grandchildren who were her biggest joy; sisters-in-law Dorothy Diffendaffer and Opal Diffendaffer; and numerous nieces and nephews.
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