Betty E. McQueen, RN, of Hiawatha, died peacefully surrounded by family Monday afternoon, July 24, 2023 at Vintage Park Assisting Living where she had been a resident for a year and a half. She previously had resided at Maple Grove Senior Apartments. She was 90.
Betty was born on the family farm, northeast of Hiawatha, April 22, 1933, one of four children born to Lorimer George “Shorty” and Myrtle Mize Mauslein. Betty has been a lifelong resident of Brown County where she grew up north of town and attended country school prior to graduating from Hiawatha High School with the class of 1951. Her calling in life was to be a nurse so she attended Sisters of Charity Nursing School in St. Joseph, Missouri from 1951 through the fall of 1953 to obtain her nursing degree.
She married her high school sweetheart James C. McQueen “Jim”, December 5, 1953 at Hiawatha. They lived all of their married life in Hiawatha where they raised three children: Pamela, Michael & Brian. Betty started working as a registered nurse for Hiawatha Community Hospital shortly after it opened in the early 1950’s until retiring in approximately 2000. Nursing at the hospital during the day consisted of going whereever and doing whatever needed to be done: working the floor, surgery, ER, OB, even going on house calls with the doctors. After retiring, she worked through the Hiawatha clinic assisting people who couldn’t afford prescriptions working directly with the drug companies, probably doing this for 20 years. Then she enjoyed taking care of children in the community for a few years.
Church was an important part of Betty’s life. She was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church in Hiawatha and various ladies organizations of the Church; also served as Deaconess and Elder. In her ‘spare’ time, she enjoyed cooking, sewing, baking being best known for her homemade dinner rolls. Anyone that knew Betty knew these things: she always had to have the last word, never said goodbye when talking on the phone, and always wanted to know the ‘latest’ that was going around town! You always knew where you stood with her….no gray area….and no filter!
Betty was preceded in death by her parents: “Shorty” July 7, 1987, Myrtle December 31, 1980, husband Jim exactly 4 years to the day July 24, 2019, daughter in law Kim McQueen August 10, 2019, two brothers Neal Mauslein November 23, 1985 and Donnie Mauslein November 7, 2018.
Survivors include her three children: Pamela Meis (Joe) of Elgin, Nebraska, Michael McQueen (Alice) of Lansing, Kansas, Brian McQueen of Hiawatha; her sister Karen Davenport (Darrell) of Canyon City, Colorado; grandchildren: Brandon and Desiree McQueen, Aaron and Allison McQueen, Alan and Jamie McQueen, Tiffany and Jason Boyce, Michele and John Schilling; great-grandchildren: Kevin Lock, Austin and Ashlynn Hasenohr, Ethan Schilling, Anna and Lillian Scates, Ryan, Charli, Teague and Nora McQueen.
A Celebration of Betty’s life is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, July 29, at the First Christian Church in Hiawatha. Burial will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Hiawatha.
Friends may call at Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, Hiawatha from 10-6 p.m. Friday. The family will meet with friends one hour prior to services at Church.
