Betty Jane McLeod's Obituary
Betty Jane McLeod, age 94 of Centerville, Iowa, passed away April 16 at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Betty was born in Centerville on January 28, 1921, the daughter of Einer R. Nelson and Maude (LaRue) Nelson. She grew up in Ottumwa, graduating from Ottumwa High School in 1938. Her high school years included an after-school job as "break pianist" at KBIZ Radio, doing her homework while remaining on call at a studio piano in case the CBS Radio Network line went down. She attended the former Ottumwa Heights Junior College, graduating in 1940 with a major in music and membership in the national junior college honor society, Phi Theta Kappa. She also studied piano with Walter Knupfer and Rudolph Tornowsky at De Paul University in Chicago.Betty continued her education at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance in 1942. During World War II she was a civilian employee of the Navy Department in Washington, DC, as a statistical analyst in mine warfare for the Navy Bureau of Ordinance. Returning to Ottumwa, Betty became a reporter for The Ottumwa Courier. During her four years at the paper she received first place votes in news writing from both the Iowa Press Women's Association and the National Press Women's Association.Betty's marriage to Donald H. McLeod took place in Ottumwa on April 8, 1951. They moved to Centerville in 1956 where he was an executive at Iowa Southern Utilities. She worked as a commercial copywriter for Centerville radio station KCOG and was Centerville correspondent for The Courier for several years. Betty was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Centerville where she served as an elder. She was also a member of several local civic organizations including Wednesday Club, Tri-T, and PEO. She was a six-decade member of PEO, joining Chapter HC in Ottumwa in 1952 and later becoming a charter member of Chapter NB in Centerville. Active in volunteer work, Betty was a tutor in the local volunteer literacy program, a patient advocate for the St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital Care Review Committee, a Cub Scout Den Mother and a Centerville High School Band Mother.She was preceded in death by her parents, youngest son Duncan in 1984 and her husband, Don, in 1993.Betty is survived by her eldest son, Doug McLeod, a writer and announcer for Fox Sports, daughter-in-law, writer Catherine Reynolds McLeod, and granddaughter Caitlin of Scottsdale, AZ.Graveside services will be held at 11am, Monday, April 27, 2015 at the Ottumwa Cemetery in Ottumwa, Iowa. Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2015 from 1 pm until 4 pm at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Centerville, Iowa.The To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Betty Jane McLeod please visit our Sympathy Store.
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