Lewiston Tribune, July 12, 2013
Betty Jo Greene 86, Peck
Early in the morning Tuesday, July 9, 2013, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend Betty Jo Greene, 86, passed away at her Peck home with family by her side.
Betty was born Feb. 27, 1927, to Arthur and Myrtle Hobdey in Hagerman, Idaho. She joined her older sister, Donna, and soon three brothers, Gene (Sonny), Verlon and Daryl, completed the family.
Betty graduated from Wendell High School and worked at the local drug store. She decided to go to California to work at Western Union with her sister during the war, but only stayed a few months.
She had already started dating Clinton J. (Pink) Greene, who would become her husband for the next 65 years. They married May 3, 1947, in Hailey, Idaho, after Pink was discharged from the U.S. Navy, and started their family immediately, with sons Benny and G. Scott being born in Wendell.
In 1951, they moved north with Betty's parents, who had purchased property in Big Canyon south of Peck. Only daughter Rita was born in Cottonwood the following spring, and that same summer the couple moved to Peck, which would become their permanent lifelong residence. Three years later, last son Clinton A. (Speedy) was born.
Always at Pink's side, she was the bookkeeper of their logging business, camp cook, full-time housewife and a terrific mother. She also worked at Kayler's Tree Farm for 35 years, was a member of Peck's Community Club for 50 years, was on the Peck City Council for a time, volunteered at the Peck Library, and was a 4-H leader during her children's younger years. Betty belonged to many other organizations as well, including the Clearwater Valley Hospital, Eagles and Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliaries, Women in Timber and the U.S. Bowling Congress (LCO) Bowling Association, to name just a few.
Betty was not one to sit, and to admit she was tired just flat made her mad. She did not like to be fussed over. "I can do it!" was her motto if you tried to help her. When the weather was good, Betty was outdoors riding horses, fishing, camping, traveling and going to rodeos. If she had to be indoors, she loved trying new recipes, baking, playing cards, throwing darts, gambling, watching sports and bowling. Betty had bowled on the Thursday afternoon Dishpan League from 1960 until just a few weeks prior to her passing.
Most of all, she just loved being with family and friends. Grandkids could do no wrong in her eyes!
She is survived by brothers Verlon of Lewiston and Daryl (and Geri) Hobdey of Nampa; children Ben and Jane Greene, Scott and Nancy Greene, Clinton A. (Speedy) Greene and Adele O'Leary, Rita Kaufman and Bob Kaufman; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Sonny and sister Donna.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Best Western Lodge at River's Edge in Orofino.
The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the John Kayler Loose Change Scholarship Fund at RO. Box 82, Peck, ID 83545; or the Clearwater Valley Hospital Auxiliary; or the Harold Kinne VFW Post 3396 Auxiliary.
Pine Hills Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in care of arrangements.
Transcribed by Michal Berreth-Beck, 2014