Obituary of Betty F. Rossouw

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Betty Frances Rachel Schmitz Rossouw Betty Frances Rachel Schmitz Rossouw, sister of Denise Schmitz, Norton, and Beverly Schmitz Glass, Garden City, died January 31, 2019, in Via-Christi-St. Francis Hospital in Wichita following a short illness. She was 60 years of age. Born to Max F. and Mabel L. Davis Schmitz on January 19, 1959, in Plainville, KS, Betty attended Norton Community Schools, graduating from Norton Community High School in 1977. While there she participated in girls' basketball, volleyball and track where she set and held for many years the school and state records in girls' shot put. She then attended Cloud County Community College and Colby Community College where she pursued studies in psychology and art. Betty had her first creative writing piece published in the CCC's "Collections". After college, Betty returned to Norton where she worked for 10 years as a certified psychiatric aide at Norton State Hospital. She then worked at Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas as a certified nurses' aide and later as office assistant. She was a program technician for USDA-FLP, was a night auditor at Brooks Motel, office manager for Rossouw Trucking and worked collectively for eight years at Valley Hope in Norton in the business office and insurance and admissions departments. She married Paul Rossouw on April 14, 2004. They later divorced in 2017. Known for her great sense of humor and booming laugh, Betty was as kind as she was funny. She graced family, friends and clients with her compassion and understanding through attentive listening, enthusiasm, and warm smiles. With a penchant for storytelling, Betty loved irony with a hint of sarcasm and her self-deprecating humor made people laugh. She truly enjoyed photography and found artistic expression in shooting pictures of nature, sunsets, and phases and colors of the moon. Betty was, in short, a hoot. She was a life-long member of the Harmonson-Redd American Legion Auxiliary, served on the Second Chance Homeless Pet Society's board of directors, and maintained her St. Francis Altar Society membership. She is preceded in death by her parents, brother Michael Timothy Schmitz and older sister Kay Margaret Schmitz Smith. She is survived by sisters Dr. Beverly Schmitz Glass and husband Bruce, Sister Denise Ann Schmitz, CSJ, along with niece Shelley Ritter Colip and husband David, children AvaJane and Max Lynndale, Simpsonville, SC, nephews Christopher Smith and wife Jennifer, children Hayden and Lailah, Sand Springs, OK, Pat Smith and wife Bridgit, with sons Xavier and Gage, California, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and many, many friends. The Rosary, led by representatives from the Congregation of St. Joseph- Concordia, will be held Friday, March 15, 2019 at 7 p.m, at Enfield Funeral Home Chapel and will be followed by The Wake at Bullseye Event Center. The Celebration Mass will be Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 11 a.m., at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Father Vincent Thu Laing will be the celebrant. Memorials may be made to the Betty Schmitz Rossouw Memorial Fund in care of Enfield Funeral Home, Norton. Condolences may be shared at www.enfieldfh.com