Betty Mary Francis Holthaus-Davis (Littlejohn)
March 10, 1923 — June 16, 2012
Betty M. Holthaus-Davis of Colesburg, Iowa died Saturday, June 16th, at the Edgewood Convelesant Home following a short illness.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 PM Wednesday June 20th at Clifton-Murdoch Funeral Home in Earlville and one hour prior to services at the church.
The memorial service will be at 11:00 AM on Thursday June 21st at St John’s Episcopal Church in Dubuque, Iowa. A lunch will be served after the service. Burial will be in the Zion Cemetery, Rural Colesburg later in the day.
Betty Mary Frances Katherine Littlejohn was born March 10, 1923 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, the daughter of Alfred and Mabel (Edwards) Littlejohn. She was the oldest of three children. Betty was educated in the Newcastle area. On May 10, 1947 Betty was united in marriage to Merle Edwin Holthaus in All Saints Espiscopal Church, New Lambton, NSW. Australia. Two children were born to this union. Merle died in 1957. On May May 28, 1961 Betty was united in marriage to Richard F. Davis in the Colesburg United Methodist Church, Colesburg, Iowa. Richard died in 2009. One child was born to this union.
Betty grew up on the Pacific ocean. She had a love of music, playing the piano and singing at an early age.
Betty moved to America after marrying Merle, and arrived in San Francisco, California on May 5, 1948 and continued on by train to the Marion Iowa depot on May 8th. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1953. Betty and Merle went to work at American Liberty Farms, near Belevedere, Illinois and later moved to Colesburg, Iowa where Merle worked for John Deere. Betty worked for the U.S, Postal service for a short time, after Merle died, Betty and Dick ran Davis Hardware in Colesburg for many years as well as a coin laudromat in the old Schaffer building. After the store closed, she worked at the Edgwood Locker, helping with catering.
Betty was an accomplished seamstress, interior designer, landscaper/gardener, painter, and still found time to be a wonderful housekeeper, wife and mother. She was active and held leadership positions with the Twentieth Century Review Club, Friends of the Colesburg Library, Colesburg Garden Club, Ed-Co Band Boosters, Boy Scout Den Mother, Betty’s Club among others. She had been active in party politics and always knew who she was voting for. She loved to travel and visited much of her adopted America. Betty always had an appreciation for the United States and taught her children the Pledge of Allegiance and the proper way to fold the American flag.
Betty is survived by three children, Terry (Connie) Holthaus, Libby, Montana, Peggy Hinzman (special friend Bob Schroeder), Peosta, Ia, Burton Davis, (special friend Teri Crossman) Delaware, Ia. Two grandchildren, Jeff Hizman (special friend Melinda Morong), Dubuque, Ia Jennie Holthaus, (special friend, Gus Feliciano), Fayetteville, North Carolina. One great-grandchild, Geoffrey Hinzman of Dubuque. A sister, Gloria Purvis, Newcastle NSW, Australia. Brother in law, Robert Davis, Anamosa, Ia. and many loving nieces and nephews, and her cat Baby.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands Merle and Richard, a grandson Allen M. Holthaus, brother Ronald E. Littlejohn, in-laws, Robert Purvis, Dorothy Davis, Virgil & Dorothy Storm, Harvey & Elizabeth Thompson, Bud & Esther Hughes and a nephew Steven Davis.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 PM Wednesday June 20th at Clifton-Murdoch Funeral Home in Earlville and one hour prior to services at the church.
The memorial service will be at 11:00 AM on Thursday June 21st at St John’s Episcopal Church in Dubuque, Iowa. A lunch will be served after the service. Burial will be in the Zion Cemetery, Rural Colesburg later in the day.
Betty Mary Frances Katherine Littlejohn was born March 10, 1923 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, the daughter of Alfred and Mabel (Edwards) Littlejohn. She was the oldest of three children. Betty was educated in the Newcastle area. On May 10, 1947 Betty was united in marriage to Merle Edwin Holthaus in All Saints Espiscopal Church, New Lambton, NSW. Australia. Two children were born to this union. Merle died in 1957. On May May 28, 1961 Betty was united in marriage to Richard F. Davis in the Colesburg United Methodist Church, Colesburg, Iowa. Richard died in 2009. One child was born to this union.
Betty grew up on the Pacific ocean. She had a love of music, playing the piano and singing at an early age.
Betty moved to America after marrying Merle, and arrived in San Francisco, California on May 5, 1948 and continued on by train to the Marion Iowa depot on May 8th. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1953. Betty and Merle went to work at American Liberty Farms, near Belevedere, Illinois and later moved to Colesburg, Iowa where Merle worked for John Deere. Betty worked for the U.S, Postal service for a short time, after Merle died, Betty and Dick ran Davis Hardware in Colesburg for many years as well as a coin laudromat in the old Schaffer building. After the store closed, she worked at the Edgwood Locker, helping with catering.
Betty was an accomplished seamstress, interior designer, landscaper/gardener, painter, and still found time to be a wonderful housekeeper, wife and mother. She was active and held leadership positions with the Twentieth Century Review Club, Friends of the Colesburg Library, Colesburg Garden Club, Ed-Co Band Boosters, Boy Scout Den Mother, Betty’s Club among others. She had been active in party politics and always knew who she was voting for. She loved to travel and visited much of her adopted America. Betty always had an appreciation for the United States and taught her children the Pledge of Allegiance and the proper way to fold the American flag.
Betty is survived by three children, Terry (Connie) Holthaus, Libby, Montana, Peggy Hinzman (special friend Bob Schroeder), Peosta, Ia, Burton Davis, (special friend Teri Crossman) Delaware, Ia. Two grandchildren, Jeff Hizman (special friend Melinda Morong), Dubuque, Ia Jennie Holthaus, (special friend, Gus Feliciano), Fayetteville, North Carolina. One great-grandchild, Geoffrey Hinzman of Dubuque. A sister, Gloria Purvis, Newcastle NSW, Australia. Brother in law, Robert Davis, Anamosa, Ia. and many loving nieces and nephews, and her cat Baby.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands Merle and Richard, a grandson Allen M. Holthaus, brother Ronald E. Littlejohn, in-laws, Robert Purvis, Dorothy Davis, Virgil & Dorothy Storm, Harvey & Elizabeth Thompson, Bud & Esther Hughes and a nephew Steven Davis.
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