Betty Burley

Betty Burley, 92, of Mason City, died peacefully Thursday, March 15, 2012, at Heritage Care Center. Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. on Monday, March 19, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church, 119 South Georgia Ave., with Rev. Sean McRoberts officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00 – 6:00 P.M. Sunday, March 18, 2012, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Inurnment will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Tama, Iowa at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Betty Burley Memorial Fund (c/o John Lundberg, 2203 North Shore Drive, Clear Lake Iowa), First United Methodist Church or Hospice of North Iowa. Betty was born January 4, 1920, in Iowa City, IA, the daughter of Herbert L. and Ellinore (Dunstan) Burley. She graduated from Tama High School in 1937, and continued her education at Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) – graduating in 1941. Betty received her M.A. degree from Colorado State Teachers College, Greeley, CO (now University of Northern Colorado) in 1952. Over the years, she taught at Mt. Auburn High School (Home Economics), LaPorte City High School (Typing & Bookkeeping), and from 1944 – 1985, Monroe Junior High School in Mason City (7th Grade English). Betty loved kids – teaching was her life. Betty was a very active life-long member of the Methodist Church. She was a long-term member of the Iowa State Education Association, and the National Education Association. Throughout her life, she served on several boards and was a member of many organizations, including the Board of North Central District of ISEA, Mason City Board of Adjustment and Review, North Iowa Band Festival Committee, Community Concert Board, Cerro Gordo Executive Club Board, , O.K. House Board, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Delta Kappa, Chapter DZ of P.E.O., Mason City Area Retired School Personnel Board, Mason City Republican Women’s Board, and County/State Republican Party Conventions Delegate. She was a recipient of the UNI Alumni Service Award, the Rotary International Paul Harris Award, and the Silver Advantage Award & Silver Distinction Award for Excellence in Education. Betty enjoyed helping others. People were very important to her and she thought of her friends as family. In Betty’s words, “I had a good life and a rewarding life - surrounded by many friends.” Betty is survived by many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her step mother: Carrie M. Burley

Cemetery:
Inurnment will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Tama, Iowa at a later date.

Memorials may be directed to the Betty Burley Memorial Fund, First United Methodist Church or Hospice of North Iowa.

Visitation:
Visitation will be from 4:00 – 6:00 P.M. Sunday, March 18, 2012 at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

Service:
Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. on Monday (March 19, 2012) at the First United Methodist Church, 119 South Georgia Ave., with Rev. Sean McRoberts officiating.