Memorial

Betty Ruth (Shafer) Scheible, 99, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2021 at the Meth-Wick Community, just shy of her 100th birthday. Betty was born on October 23, 1921 to Hubert and Ruth Shafer in LaGrange, Illinois, although she always claimed Cedar Rapids as her hometown. Her parents both worked for Cedar Rapids institutions -- her father at the Cedar Rapids Gazette and later her mother at the downtown Killians. The Shafer family built their home in a wooded section of Cedar Rapids in 1929.

Betty attended Arthur School and Franklin High School. It was at a Franklin basketball game with cross-town rival McKinley that she first spotted a tall good-looking blonde on the basketball court. Betty made the most of her time at Coe College, as that same young man, Frank Scheible, flirted with her one afternoon in the Stewart Memorial Library. 

In November 1941, after Frank graduated from Coe, he and Betty eloped to Lancaster, Missouri. Frank was in the Army Air Corps and received pilot training at several locations around the country. Betty followed him to Florida and Texas, which was a pretty brave thing for a young woman who had never really been out of Iowa. She traveled by bus and by train and often ran out of money, much to the chagrin of her new father-in-law who was called upon to wire her money to get home. Betty did not want to upset her parents.

During World War II, Betty lived with her parents while Frank flew B-29 missions in the Pacific. They wrote to each other every day, saving all the letters in a footlocker that always moved with them. Their letters give a glimpse of that era and of their devotion to each other, and are quite a legacy for their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

In 1944 Betty gave birth to a son, and upon Frank’s return at the end of the war, they bought their first house. Soon after a daughter was born, but Cedar Rapids was not going to be home for long. Frank was recalled into service during the Korean War and the family moved to San Antonio, Texas. After a few very happy years there, Frank was transferred to Tokyo, Japan, which was a great adventure for the family. Betty navigated the crowded streets of Tokyo in the family Buick (driving on the wrong side of the road came naturally to her), and she learned traditional Japanese arts such as doll making and flower arranging.

As the wife of a military man, Betty got used to moving. After Japan, they lived in Indiana, then Alabama, and finally California. Wherever they lived, Betty made a comfortable home for her family, although much to her dismay she was never able to find that perfect house without a kitchen. Betty hated to cook. 

However, Betty did have a green thumb which she inherited from her mother, and she tended her flower gardens with great care. In later years, her children made certain that she had fresh flowers at all times. 

She cherished her friends, and faithfully kept in touch with her school mates from Franklin, her sorority sisters from Coe, the wives of Frank’s WWII squadron mates, and the friends and neighbors from every town she lived in.

One of Betty’s favorite places was Santa Monica, California, where for ten years she lived a mere four blocks from Palisades Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In 1979, Betty and Frank moved to their true retirement home in Carlsbad, California. Betty was taught at an early age to love nature, and she and Frank landscaped their yard to become one of the early National Wildlife Federation’s certified backyard habitats.  

During their retirement years in Carlsbad, Betty and Frank enjoyed their trips to Europe and to locations all throughout the United States. Every year there was a reunion or two with old friends and family. Their high school and Coe reunions kept bringing them back to Cedar Rapids for happy times with their many friends.

Betty and Frank came full circle in December 2003 when they moved back to Cedar Rapids. Their apartment at the Meth-Wick Community was only five blocks from that first house they bought after the war. Frank passed away in January 2007, a few months after they celebrated their 65th anniversary.

Betty had a big and loving heart and always thought of others before herself. Even in her final year, she continued to be a Mom, a role she loved above all else. Covid robbed Betty of the closeness she had with her children, and during this time they were grateful that she was under the watchful eye of the Meth-Wick Community.

A proud Democrat, Betty fervently hoped that the nation would heal and would lead the world in combatting the climate crisis, for the sake of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and all future generations everywhere.

Betty is survived by her son F. William Scheible, Jr. (Portland, Oregon) and her daughter Ann Klovstad (Des Moines), as well as her brother Charles (Betty) Shafer (Cedar Rapids) and several nieces and nephews. Betty thought her two children were the brightest kids in the world, until she had grandchildren -- Kristin (Scheible) Hanley and Ethan Scheible, both of Portland, Oregon. And she loved being GGMa to her five great grandchildren who are as talented as they are diverse -- Aidan, Elias and Jasper Hanley, and Bruin and Poppy Scheible, all of Portland, Oregon. Betty is also survived by Cheryl Mann (Des Moines) who was a second daughter to her for decades.

Betty was adored by her family. Hers was a life full of love and a life well lived.

The family would like to thank Dr. Trisha Sheeley and Dr. Hisham Wagdy for their excellent care through the years. The entire staff at the Meth-Wick Community provided a wonderful home for Betty for nearly 18 years, always meeting her changing needs. For their friendship, loving care and support, the family would like to thank Home & Health Services at Meth-Wick and particularly the staff of the Lynch Neighborhood at the Woodlands. In her final months, Compassus cared for Betty with compassion, kindness and respect.

Memorials may be made to the Coe College Library Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, or the Meth-Wick Community (Tree Restoration Fund).

Private interment will be at Cedar Memorial at a later date.