In Loving Memory

Betty Mae Clark

Lifetime Stevens County resident Mrs. Betty Mae Clark, age 93, passed away January 17, 2025, in Colville, Wash. Betty was born Betty Mae Heidegger on March 10, 1931, in Kettle Falls, Wash., to Howard and Mary Heidegger.

The Colville community has lost one of its most well-known and deeply appreciated members.  Betty Mae Clark leaves behind a legacy that few will ever duplicate. Some say she was an institution.

Betty was active in The Mount Carmel Hospital Auxiliary, where she was a volunteer for 43 years. She was a familiar face to incoming patients during her weekly shift at the clinic information desk. Before they left the hospital, newborn babies received custom t-shirts in a program Betty co-managed. For many years she was also in charge of the annual Christmas swag fund-raiser, tying red ribbons and pinecones to hundreds of cedar boughs.

The American flags placed on veterans' graves for Memorial Day are part of Betty's legacy of kindness with American Legion Auxiliary, Frank Starr Post #47 in Colville. She diligently kept track of fallen veteran burials at Highland Cemetery to ensure a flag was there to signify their status. Betty became a member of the post in 1971 and gave 54 years of active service.

Betty's volunteer work at The HUB (Colville Community Senior Center) allowed her to share her gentle spirit. She was responsible for bell ringing to call attendees to order, plus hand-written thank you letters and get-well cards sent to members and guests.

When she wasn't volunteering in the community, Betty worked at home to make things special for her family. She embroidered, quilted, gardened and enjoyed the fine art of oil painting on canvas. In her neighborhood, Betty was known for her holiday front yard displays, turning heads as cars went by. On Thanksgiving, she displayed a six-foot turkey; on Valentine's Day, she hung a four-by-four-foot red heart fashioned from a sheet of plywood; Santa and the Easter Bunny made their annual appearances on Betty's porch.

For 30 years Betty worked as a painter and interior decorator. Her wallpaper handiwork, textured ceilings and painted walls can be found in many Colville-area homes and businesses.

Betty would never say "phone". She would say "it's 'telephone.'" She was trained not to use the slang word in 1949 as a Pacific Bell telephone operator in Vancouver, Wash.

Betty returned to Stevens County to marry Bernie Clark in 1952. The couple made their home in Colville, raised two children and loved being with their four grandchildren. Before Bernie passed away in 2016, they enjoyed RV camping trips with The Good Sam RV Club and were members of The Chokes And Spokes Antique Car Club, Colville. They had a constant, rotating fleet of classic cars driven on road trips and in parades. For many years, they were avid boaters and spent time on local lakes and rivers in their small ski boat.

Betty was a fan of KCVL radio's Party Line and, for a few years in the 1970s, would meticulously compile a list of items offered for sale, including the seller's name and telephone number. The KCVL staff did not maintain such records, but discovered Betty was an informal Party Line record keeper. If listeners called the radio station for the seller information from a previous show, they would refer them to Betty and even give out her home telephone number.

Betty is preceded in death by her husband, Bernie.  She is survived by her children, Julie (Jim) Witter and Dan (Terresa) Clark; grandchildren Frank Snider, Tara Christiano, Natalie Clark, Evan Clark and many extended family members.

A funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 11:00am; 10:00am viewing at The Free Methodist Church of Colville. Burial will follow at Mountain View Park Cemetery. After interment, a luncheon will be provided by the wonderful people of The Free Methodist Church. Danekas Funeral Chapel & Crematory has been entrusted with her care. Please visit the online memorial website and sign her guestbook at www.danekasfuneralchapel.com.