Betty Jo Hanes

September 9, 1936 – February 24, 2016

Betty Jo Hanes, 79, longtime resident of Othello, Wash., passed away Feb. 24, 2016 at Avalon Care Center. She was born in Borger, Texas on Sept. 9, 1936. Betty graduated from East High School’s Class of ’54 in Denver, Colo.

She attended Colorado A&M where she met her future husband, Donald. The couple was married at the First Presbyterian Church of Denver, Colo. on June 10, 1956. Together they moved to Colorado Springs where Betty worked at the Exchange National Bank. The family grew in 1966, adding son, Daniel and then daughter, Sara in 1968. A brief move took the family to Lubbock, Texas and then they settled in Othello in 1973 where they co-owned Ag Country Inc.

Betty enjoyed reading mysteries, cooking watching baseball and playing bridge. She was a member of Junior League and very involved in the Othello community: volunteering at the Othello Museum, The Old Hotel where she and dear friend, Mary Lou Fields, ran the Country Kitchen restaurant. She was Cub Scout den mother and was involved in Little League, Campfire Girls and Othello Junior Miss. She chaperoned various Othello High School trips: Band, Drill Team and Spanish class, all while being the number-one fan of her children’s sports teams. She never missed a game. Education was very important to Betty; she was elected a board member and then became chairman of the Othello School Board for a combination of 12-plus years. Betty was actively involved in the Washington State Republican Party for more than 40 years; she was the longest serving state committeewoman representing Adams County and a member of the WSRP Rules Committee, Credentials Committee and Platform Committee and was elected a Washington State Delegate to three National Presidential Conventions. Our family, community, county and state will dearly miss her.

Betty was survived by husband, Donald F. Hanes of Othello, Wash.; her son, Daniel of Waunakee, Wisc., and her daughter, Sara (Thomas) Cahill of Everett, Wash. Betty loved her grandchildren with all her heart; Samuel, Charles, and John Cahill, and Isabel and Nicholas Hanes. She is also survived by wonderful nieces and nephews whom she cared for deeply. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Joe Harris and Letha Poole, and her brother Carl Lilly. An account has been established at Columbia Bank where a Betty Hanes Scholarship Fund will be set up to help a local student attend college. A memorial service is set to take place on Friday, March 4 at the Othello Nazarene Church at 1 p.m. To leave an online condolence to the family, please visit our website at www.stevensfc.com.