Betty Jean (Liester) Treu was born in Hoxie, Kansas on August, 25th,
1925, to Clyde M. Liester and Wilma Brown Liester. Betty was a bit of a
tomboy and loved going to the swimming hole, and playing with her
brothers on the streets of Hoxie. One of her escapades with her brothers
involved sling shots. An ornery brother dared her to shoot out a street
light. She took aim, thinking she would never hit it, but guess what,
she broke it! She remembered the opening of Hoxie Swimming Pool as one
of the happiest days of her young life. Even though her childhood
involved fun times, it was very important to her to excel in her
schoolwork. Betty attended the Hoxie schools, and graduated from
Sheridan County High School as Valedictorian in 1943. During her high
school and young adult years, she worked at the Hoxie Sentinel as a
type-setter and writer. One of the editors she worked for was W. E.
Rogers who, coincidentally, was the father of Jim Rogers, who became
Betty’s son-in-law. During this period of her life, she met the man who
would become her husband, John Willard Treu. While he served in World
War II, they wed on March 5th, 1945.
Upon returning, they moved to the farm to begin their lives
together, where they raised three daughters, and they built her beloved
farm home. Since they lived so far from town, Betty made sure her three
daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren shared her love of
swimming. Even though Betty knew the girls couldn’t be involved in
everything because they lived so far from town, she made sure that they
participated in music and swimming, to the chagrin of her father-in-law
and husband! Betty was a hard-working farm wife, who raised chickens,
grew a big garden, canned the vegetables, put up corn, and also took
care of the financial side of the farm.
A huge passion of hers was watching and listening to Kansas City
Royals baseball games and University of Kansas basketball games! Her
passions also included family, crossword puzzles, and her love of words.
Even though she didn’t have a snobby bone in her body, Betty was a
grammar and spelling perfectionist. She was quietly kind, generous,
loving, humble, and she made the best noodles and cinnamon twists.
Additionally, anyone who helped out on the Treu farm enjoyed her
world-famous hamburger buns! Some of her greatest qualities included her
ability to make everyone feel like part of her family, her common-sense
way of looking at life, as well as her quick-witted zingers thrown in
at the perfect time!
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Willard, and all of her siblings and their spouses.
She is survived by her daughters, Marilyn (Treu) Rogers and her
husband, Jim, of Hoxie, KS; grandchildren Brent Rogers and wife, Jodi,
and Brooke (Rogers) Hill; great-grandchildren Paiton and Kinley Rogers,
and Quinlynn Hill; Shelley (Treu) Nondorf and her husband, Bill, of
Hoxie, KS; grandchildren Samantha (Nondorf) Thibodeau, and Cole Nondorf
and wife, Allison; great-grandchildren Ava Thibodeau, and Kenzie and
Kooper Nondorf; Carole (Treu) Clark and her husband, Pete, of Parker,
CO; grandchildren Caitlin Clark and Connor Clark.
A funeral service will be held at the Hoxie United Methodist Church
on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 10:30 A.M. Interment in the Hoxie City
Cemetery will immediately follow the service. Visitation will be at the
Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home on Monday, October 25, 2021 from 1:00 P.M.
until 7:00 P.M. with family receiving friends from 5:30 P.M. until 7:00
P.M. Family suggests memorials for the Main Street Arts Council or the
Hoxie United Methodist Church. Memorials may be sent in care of
Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO Box 987, Hoxie, Kansas 67740. Share
words of comfort for the family at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com
Those attending the funeral service are asked to wear a KU or Kansas
City Royals attire in honor of the passion Betty had for KU basketball
and the Kansas City Royals baseball.