Betty Jane Richardson

Betty Jane Benjamin Richardson went home to be with her Lord and Savior at the Bortz Health Care Facility in West Branch on August 2, 2014. Betty Jane Benjamin was born August 17, 1922 in Bay City, Michigan to Daniel Edward and Eva Franklin Benjamin. She was the youngest of their children. Her parents and siblings moved to Rose City in the late 1920’s and then moved to West Branch in September of 1932, where her father was a building contractor, building many homes in the West Branch area. She lived the rest of her life in West Branch. Betty became a member of the First United Methodist Church of West Branch in 1936 and in her younger adult years taught Sunday school elementary classes and was very active in other church activities. She graduated from the West Branch High School in 1942 and was President of the Student Council during her senior year. After graduating from high school she started working as a law stenographer for attorney William Yeo and with his law partner Edward Bilitzke. She had fantastic speed in shorthand and was an excellent typist and she really knew the law. When Mr. Yeo retired in 1957 he sold the abstract part of his law practice to Ben Richardson and Betty continued to work there in the abstract office. She knew the abstract business and the laws regarding it. If you have an abstract from Ogemaw County Abstract Office on some property that you own and the abstract was typed in the 1940’s thru the 1970’s she probably typed it. Later in life on June 2, 1971 Betty married Ben Richardson several years after Ben had lost his wife. They spent 37 years 8 months together till death took Ben in February of 2009. Betty was the main caregiver for her mother Eva Benjamin who lived with her in the family home that Betty had bought and maintained before her marriage. When Betty’s health declined and she could no longer care for her mother at home she would still visit her in the nursing home every day. Betty was a petite lady being small in physical stature but she had a very big and generous heart and was always willing to help out any family member who needed emotional or financial help. Betty was a talented seamstress and also loved to garden and tended to her rose bushes until her health kept her from doing it anymore. She loved a good book and read till eyesight worsened and then enjoyed being read to. She also took up golf in later life and enjoyed golfing with Ben at several golf courses in the area. She never had any children of her own but her nieces and nephews who were close to her where like children. She cared about each and every one and gave her love freely to them. Her parents Daniel Edward and Eva Benjamin, her husband Ben and siblings Frank Benjamin, Emma McGowan, Thelma Nollsch, Dan Benjamin Sr., Genevieve Bemis and their spouses predeceased her. She is survived by her step children Loree (Michael) Noel of Arizona, and Kerry (Ann) Richardson of West Branch, and their families and by her nieces Jeannine (Walt) Resteiner of Arizona and Julia (John) Munn of West Branch and nephews Daniel Mark (Roxanne) Benjamin of Rose City, Daniel W. (Rose) Benjamin of Mount Pleasant, Tom (Joan) Benjamin of Rose City and Rod Bemis of New York and their families. We are so appreciative of all the loving care that was given to her during her time at Bortz Heath Care of West Branch, and to Hospice of Helping Hands that also tended to her in the last year of life. There are many nurses and aides that were so good to her. Thank you to those who would send cards or stop by for a visit when she was in Bortz it meant a lot to her. Memorial Services will be held at the Steuernol & McLaren Funeral Home in West Branch on August 16, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. and hour before the service. The Memorial Service will be conducted by nephew John Munn. Burial will be in the Brookside Cemetery in West Branch. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Helping Hands or to the Ogemaw County Genealogical & Historical and Society.