Betty Jean Smith Kaub, age 87 of Hastings, passed away July 28, 2018 at Thornapple Manor in Hastings.
Betty was born in Holland, Michigan on February 24, 1931, the daughter of Gerrit and Helena (Scholten) Hoogstraten. She graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School, class of 1949. Betty received her RN nursing degree from Bronson School of Nursing in 1953. She worked for Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo from 1952 to 1954. Betty stayed home to raise her family from 1953 to 1989. She worked at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan from 1973 to 1988.
Betty was a Girl Scout Leader from 1964 to 1972. She was a member of the Kalamazoo Historical Society, Bronson Hospital Alumni, Simpson-Westwood United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo, Faith United Methodist Church in Delton and the Hastings Hope United Methodist Church. Betty enjoyed sewing, knitting, needlepoint and quilting. She also enjoyed camping and traveling with her family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerrit and Helena Hoogstraten, brothers, Bert, Bill, and Bob, sisters, Wilma, Nellie and Tillie.
Betty was also preceded in death by her first husband, Clair Smith in 1985 after 32 years of marriage and second husband, Richard Kaub in 2001, after 12 years of marriage.
Betty is survived by her daughter, Ann (Bob) Roobol of Hastings, MI sons, Daniel J. (Diane) Smith of Nashville, MI, David J. (Rosa) Smith of Spain, Jeffery S. (Missy) Smith of Augusta, MI, sister, Helen (Paul) Force of Bradington, FL, brother, Gerrit (Gail) Hoogstraten of Portage, MI, sisters-in-law, Jo and Joyce Hoogstraten of Kalamazoo, MI, 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the following: Youth With A Mission, 20136 FM 16 West, Lindale, TX 75771, (Re: For the North Africa Center), Muscular Dystrophy Assoc, P.O. Box 97075, Washington DC 20090, Hope United Methodist Church, 2920 S. M-37 Hwy., Hastings, MI 49058.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 1, at the Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 11:00 am at the Hope United Methodist Church. Pastor Kim Metzer will officiate the service. A luncheon will follow the service. Interment will take place at Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, MI.
Arrangements by Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings. To leave an online condolence, visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.
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She lived through a time in history that was filled with sorrows and with laughter. In later years, she was blessed to recall principally the best of her memories which included her father taking her to the World Olympics in Berlin in 1936 – for which he had welded Olympic rings for the Stadium - where Jessie Owens ran and won gold,; and the generosity of the many pilots in 1948 that dropped packages of food during the Berlin Airlift.
James was a minister since 1960, having the distinct pleasure of officiating at many family members marriages. He served his country during WWII in the Navy.
