Bette Jean (Harmon) Beck

Bette Jean Beck, 97, Kokomo, danced her way into heaven at 11:29 am, Thursday, August 8, 2019 at home with her family by her side.  She was born July 7, 1922, in Lebanon Indiana, the daughter of the late Charles Ellsworth II & Ruby Myrtle Harmon “Sweetie Pie”.  On July 7, 1940, in Indianapolis, she married Morris E Beck and they spent 71 wonderful years together. He preceded her in death September 17, 2011.

Bette was a 1940 graduate of Lebanon High School.  She retired in 1980 from General Motors and had also worked for Montgomery Ward from 1960-1965.  Bette and Morris were co-founders, along with seven other families, to help organize Bona Vista in 1955-1956.  Bette was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 6 and enjoyed collecting Betty-Boop items. What she may have enjoyed most was dancing with her loved ones at any given time, for no other reason than to dance!  She began dancing with her sisters growing up and it always brought joy to her and to all of us.   

Bette was the mother of 5 boys, Lawrence Richard (Dotty) Beck, Morris Robert Beck, Charles Ellsworth (Priscilla) Beck, William Alfred Beck (Jill Worsencroft) and Thomas James (Debra) Beck; as well as 13 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; and 9 great great grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Belle Yager.

Bette was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and siblings, Arnetta Kaufman, Charles Ellsworth Harmon and Ruth Wanita Percy.

The family would like to thank nurses, Jamie, Sam and Ashley, aids, Carrie and Molly and social worker Jackie as well as chaplins Debbie and Boris of ViaQuest for their loving care and compassion offering to make us comfortable.

Funeral Services will be held at 1 pm on Monday, August 12, 2019 at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home & Crematory, 1315 West Lincoln Road, with Pastor Doug Benham Officiating. Entombment will be in Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery. Friends are invited to visit with family from 11 am until service time on Monday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Bona Vista, with envelopes available at the funeral home. Messages and condolences may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com. 

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