Betty Jean McDowell was born Nov. 8, 1939, in Jefferson, Iowa, to Warren Thompson and
Verna (Miller) Thompson. She grew up on her family farm in Paton, Iowa.
Betty graduated from Boxholm High School in 1958.
She married Dean Arnold “Skip” McDowell on Aug. 31, 1964, and the couple was blessed with six daughters, Kim, Barbara, Susan, Deana, Debbie and Tammy.
Betty’s most important job was being a homemaker and farmer’s wife. Later in life, she
worked at Wil-Do Cleaners, Gottschalk Seed and Levan Seed.
She started the Girl Scouts group in Perry back in the 1970s and was a member of the Camp Fire Girls.
Betty liked playing cards, bingo, golfing, fishing, making ceramics, gardening and camping.
Most of all she loved spending time with her family and attending her grandchildren’s activities.
For 18 years, Betty and Skip wintered in Arizona.
She was a member of the Eastern Stars, Perry Bible Church and Master Gardeners.
Betty died July 8, 2023, at Kennybrook Village in Grimes, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dean McDowell; daughter, Kim Kurtti; sisters, Nancy Jo Anderson and Genevieve Thompson; mother-in-law, Ida (Paulsen) McDowell; and father-in-law, Chester McDowell.
She will be dearly missed by her daughters, Barbara (Tony) Hawbaker of Gold
Canyon, Arizona, Susan (Howard) Norris of Grimes, Deana (Jeremy) Lowe of Des Moines, Debbie McDowell of Ankeny and Tammy (Jeff) Wirtz of Ogden; seven grandchildren, Amber (Jake) Ramsey of Grimes, Matthew Norris of Dallas Center, Jessica Norris of Ames, Emily Lowe of Des Moines, Maci Lowe of Des Moines, Shannon (Stan) Safley of Ogden and Samantha (Joe) Slight of Boone; three great-grandchildren, Eli, Payton and Elsie Safley; brothers, George (Joann) Thompson of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Clifford Thompson of Boone; sister-in-law, Donna Thompson of Indianola; nieces; nephews; other relatives; and many friends.
Visitation was held Tuesday, July 11 from 3-8 p.m., with family greeting hours from 6-8 p.m. at the Hastings Funeral Home in Perry. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 12 also at the funeral home. Burial took place at Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry, Iowa.
