- Betty Mathews Obituary
Betty Joanne Mathews, 92, of Idaho Falls, passed away Sunday, October 29, 2023, at her home. She was under the care of Hands of Hope Hospice.
Betty was born in Mulberry, Kansas on July 8, 1931, to Irvin Mische and Elton McKay Mische. She grew up in Missouri and California. Betty attended five different high schools as her father worked in construction and they moved around for work. She graduated from Nevada, Missouri High School in 1948. She received two scholarships which enabled her to go to college. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 1952 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Education.
On December 31, 1954, Betty married William Hickinbotham. They were blessed with two children, Michael, and Kelley. On February 2, 1975, she married David Lane Mathews in Anchorage, Alaska, welcoming his three children David Jr., Carol, and Charles.
Betty was well-traveled and lived in several places throughout the U.S. including Missouri, California, Alaska, Texas, Nebraska, and New Mexico. She also lived in Germany and worked for the U.S. Air Force there. An accomplished executive secretary, she worked at banks in Alaska including a stint as a personnel officer and again as secretary at well-known accounting firms in Anchorage and Midland, Texas. She was the legal secretary for a future Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. Of particular interest, she worked at Disney Studios and was a personal secretary to Walt Disney.
She served in many civic organizations including the National Secretary's Association, American Institute of Banking, Palmer Historical Society, Grange, and Palmer Senior Citizens. She also enjoyed backpacking and traveling to Hawaii, New Zealand, Europe, the U.S., and Canada. She greatly enjoyed making clothes. She loved shoes and shopping for them. She loved growing flowers and won many ribbons for them over the years at the Alaska State Fair. Betty was a tall, beautiful, intelligent woman who valued honesty and had a smile that could light up the world.
Betty is survived by her husband, David Mathews of Idaho Falls; her son, Michael Hickinbotham of Idaho Falls; her daughter, Kelley Barringer of Medford, Oregon; her stepsons: David Mathews Jr. of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Charles Mathews of Gilbert, Arizona; her stepdaughter, Carol Mathews of Colorado Springs, Colorado; ten grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren.
Private family services will be held at a later date. Cremation is under the care of Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 First Street, Idaho Falls.
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1931 - 2023 (92 years)
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