Betty J. Hollis

Betty Jo Hollis, 90, of Washington, IL, passed away on March 6th, 2022 after a year-long struggle with congestive heart failure and recent cancer diagnosis.

Betty was born in 1931 to Narvel and Vada Rogers in Cynthiana, IN.  After graduating from Cynthiana High School, she went to cosmetology school and became a hair dresser.  Her first job was in Evansville, IN, and she went on to fix ladies’ hair for the next 35 years.

Betty married life-long sweetheart William Hollis in 1952 and were together until Bill’s death in 2016.  They had 3 children.  She and her family finally settled in Washington, IL, where she lived for 54 years until she moved to the Buehler Home in early 2021.

Betty had many friends through church, her work as a hair dresser, and Bill’s coworkers at Caterpillar.  Betty had the opportunity to travel across the US and Europe with Bill on business trips, always coming back with fun stories.  She served as a Girl Scout leader, a church elder and a volunteer helping children with Down Syndrome.  Betty enjoyed garden club, bridge, swimming at Five Points, and the symphony, and was a fierce competitor at Chinese checkers.  She donated to many charities, and was a member of the Washington Presbyterian Church since 1967.  Betty was a strong, devoted mother and wife, supporting her daughter Juli through her 22-year battle with ovarian cancer, and her husband through his 11-year struggle with Alzheimer’s.  She was loved by all who knew her as a kind, thoughtful person with a charming sense of humor and grace.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Bill, her mother Vada, her father Narvel, her brothers Robert, James and Richard, her sister Ruth, and her daughter Juliann.  She is survived by her sister Mary K., her daughter Frances, her son Christopher, her grandson Alexander, her granddaughters Ella, Anne and Sophia, sons-in-law Tom, Tom, and Daniel, and nieces and nephews.

Her memorial service will be held at the Washington Presbyterian Church, 105 S. Elm St., Washington, IL on Saturday, April 2, 2022.  Visitation will be at 1:00 pm, with the memorial service following at 2:30 pm.  Pastor Tim Mitchell will officiate. Betty and her husband Bill will be interred in Indiana at a later date.

Betty’s family wishes to thank the wonderful people at the Buehler Home Health Center and OSF Hospice who cared for their Momma with kindness and diligence over the last months of her life.  In lieu of gifts and flowers, well-wishers may donate to the Washington Presbyterian Church or American Cancer Society in Betty’s honor. To share a memory or send a condolence to her family, visit www.masonfuneralhomes.com.

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