Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Hyer

KEWANEE - Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Hyer, 97, of Kewanee, passed into our Father’s loving arms at her home at 2:20 a.m., Wednesday, November 23, 2016 surrounded by her family.

She was born June 15, 1919 in Las Vegas, NM, the daughter of Andrew and Pauline (Hall) Grieve. Following her mother’s death in 1921, Betty and her sister were raised by Miss Ellen Swanson and her aunts, including Mary Manifold Hall who would become her step-mother. She enjoyed a simple farm girl childhood always playing with her many puppies. She went to Elmira Grade School, Kewanee High School and attended Iowa State University. She married her best friend, William George “Bill” Hyer on June 24, 1942 in Alhambra, CA at the home of Dale and Helen (Hall) Baltimore, the day before Bill left to serve in the Army Air Corp in WWII. To support her new husband and the war effort, she learned to rivet and was very active in the AirWatch Program.

Following the end of the war they returned home to the Hyer family farm in rural Kewanee. They worked side by side raising two daughters, lots of dogs, cats, cattle, hogs and sheep. She spent many a night delivering baby animals. She worked many years at Peoples National Bank. She was a member of the Armstrong Community Club and Order of the Eastern Star. She was an active member of the Kewanee Presbyterian and Elmira United Presbyterian Churches. She supported her girls activities and was a proud Wethersfield Band parent. Bill and Betty retired to travel the U.S. and Canada, visiting their friends and family and always rock hunting. They would back up their camper and take off with Snoopy, their Collie pup for months on end.

Bill and Betty were side by side for 58 years until he passed away in July of 2000. She was also preceded in death by her parents, step-mother, siblings and Bob Kaiser, her son-in-law. Survivors include her two daughters, Pauline Kaiser (Bob Reese) of Youngstown, NY and Patricia Hyer of Kewanee. She loved her five grandchildren, Allison Hebden of Moline, Rolf (Shannon) Kaiser of Tiburon, CA, Gretchen (Frank Flannery) Kaiser of Sisters, OR, Andrew (Amanda) Hebden of St. Louis, MO and Anna (Steven) Bender of Geneseo, IL. She cherished her eight greats, Alexander Horinka, Emilie Bender, Addison Hebden, Evan Bender, Lorraine Hebden and William, Isla and Luke Kaiser.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 26 at the Elmira United Presbyterian Church. Rev. Dr. Dale Dykstra will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the church. Burial will be in Elmira Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Elmira United Presbyterian Church or to the Bill and Betty Hyer Ag Scholarship at Black Hawk College East Campus. Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee is in charge of arrangements.

 Service Information