Obituary of Betty Lou Pennington

Betty Lou Pennington ~ 92 Vancouver, Washington March 10, 1924 ~ August 25, 2016 Betty Lou Pennington, 92, of Vancouver, Washington died August 25, 2016, due to Congestive Heart Failure. She was born March 10, 1924 in a log cabin on her family's farm located on the Tipton and Howard County line, the daughter of Roy and Virgil Lee. the day of her birth was a snow storm and attending Dr. Hutto, had a hard time arriving in time due to the high drifts while driving a horse and buggy. Betty graduated from Prairie High School and shortly after married Robert Pennington also from Tipton County on May 2, 1942. During the war years she worked at the Reliance Corporation, Delco Electronics and Stellite Corporation in Kokomo, Indiana. After Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps he was sent to Homestead Airbase in Miami Beach, Florida where they then resided and their daughter was born in 1944. He later was stationed in Hawaii, serving as a mechanic for the B-29's involved in the Pacific Theater. In 1954 the family moved from Indiana to California where Betty continued to work in the electronics field. After a move to Phoenix, Arizona, she taught electronics at Maricopa Technical Institute. Later when Robert secured a teaching position at Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, Betty worked as a substitute teacher at the mission school for several years. In 1985 they moved to the Navajo Reservation at Crownpoint, New Mexico where she taught math at the high school. Due to Robert's poor health they moved one last time to Vancouver, Washington to be near their family. Betty worked as a prototype assembler for a number of years for CID. In 1999, Betty attended Clark College, graduating with an Associate Applied Science Degree as a Business Technology Medical Office Specialist, all this at the age of 82. After Robert's death she moved to Walnut Grove Senior Apartments and worked for 11 years as the Building Representative, assisting other residents when the manager was off duty or not available. She also coordinated various social events and at one time taught English classes for non-English speaking residents. Recently, she was able to secure a reconditioned piano from the School of Piano Technology for the Blind for use in the community room during various gatherings. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Wilmer Lee, her sister, Mary Mae Lee Wheatley who recently passed at age 94, 32 days prior to Betty, and her husband, Robert Pennington. She is survived by her daughter, Madeline Lee Mesplay and grandson, Caleb Mesplay and two greatgrandchldren all of Vancouver. At her request, there will be no service, and interment will be in Sharpsville, Indiana Cemetery, next to her husband, parents and brother. The family asks that any memorials in Betty's name be made to a favorite charity of choice.