Obituary of Betty Sheldon

Longtime Yuma, Colorado resident, Betty Lou Sheldon passed away at the Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado on March 13, 2011. She was 77 years old. Betty Lou Sheldon was born on December 8, 1933 in Liberal, Kansas to Champ Clark Rutter and Ida Faye Hood. Shortly after she was born the family moved to Plains, Kansas and then moved to Bethune, Colorado in 1946. She attended school in Bethune and graduated from Burlington High School in 1951. In Burlington she was actively involved in pep club, played piano and trumpet, and sang for the church and the Burlington High School choir. Her strong leadership skills won her the vote for Homecoming Queen in 1951. After graduating high school she moved to Ogallala, Nebraska in 1952, and worked for Goodall Manufacturing. That same year she met, Douglas Lee Sheldon and was soon married on October 9, 1954 in Raton, New Mexico. To this union four children were born, Penny Lynn, Kim Douglas, Dirk Allen, and Tadd Darren. In the year 1975, Douglas and Betty Lou opened their home to eighteen foster children. Their house was always filled with the love, joy, and company for several years with the coming and going of six to eight foster children at one time, as well as, kids that she baby sat. In 1990, the Sheldon family moved to Yuma, Colorado where Doug and Betty both received a job at the Kelandy Center, then they moved to Vernon for two years to house sit for friends. After two years they moved back to Yuma where they rented a double wide trailer for a few years, and shortly after in the year of 1996 is when the family bought their modular house where they considered this not only a house, but their home. Betty Lou continued to work at the Kelandy Center and had worked there for 21 years. Betty Lou was proceeded in death by her parents; Clark and Faye Rutter, and brother Leo Rutter. She is survived by her husband Douglas of 56 years, daughter; Penny and her spouse Robert Helderman of Kanorado Kansas and their two kids Monta McCauley and husband Gail McCauley and their two children Dezarea and Brett Kaza of Yuma and Blake Helderman and his wife Amber and their two children Preston and Kaprice of Goodland Kansas. Three sons; Kim Sheldon and wife Lolli of Grand Junction Colorado and their three kids Amber Alexander and her two children Anthony and Bonnie, Adam and his wife Billy Joe and their three children Sophia, Isabella, and Kaitlyn, and Aaron Alexander, Dirk Sheldon and his spouse Pam of Goodland Kansas their three girls Chelsea, Megan and her spouse Jeremy Kemp, and Stephanie, Tadd Sheldon and his spouse Jeanne of Meridian Idaho and their son Tanner. She is also survived by a host of many cousins, nieces, nephews, and many close friends.