Betty R. Afton

March 29, 1925 — August 30, 2008

Betty R. Afton Profile Photo

Betty Afton was a strong, supportive woman, sometimes brash and brazen, yet always loyal and loving. Betty was a woman with a clear outlook on life and the world around her, a woman of principle and passion, of character and compassion. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and a teacher to so many of us. Today her love, and her lessons, live on in all who knew her. Bettys story began on a cool spring day in 1925, as the ground began to thaw in the farming town of Richmond, Indiana. Those were good days in this country, times of peace and prosperity, during the heyday of the Roaring 20s, and the peak of Prohibition. On March 29, 1925, Bernard and Isabelle (Town) Timmer celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Betty. Betty was the couples first child, and soon after she was born, the growing family packed up and moved north to Monroe, Michigan. Not long after, they moved once again, settling for good in the sandy shores of Muskegon, Michigan, buying their first home on Henry Street on a land contract for six dollars a month. There Betty was joined in the family by her little brothers Bernard Jr., James and Doug. Bettys dad was a furnace installer, who went to work for the Norge Plant in town, while her mother cared for the kids and the home. The family also raised chickens at their home, too. Betty attended Hile Elementary School, where she proved to be a very bright student, with a true love for learning. She developed a lifelong love for reading as a girl, which only fueled her academic excellence further. Betty eventually attended Muskegon Heights High School, where she continued to earn great grades, and excelled on the schools debate team, too, winning several speech contests. Even then, arguing with Betty was a losing proposition! When she wasnt studying, Betty was a fun-loving young woman, who enjoyed swimming off the Lake Michigan float bridge, cruising on Western Avenue, and going to the Muskegon Ovals with her friends. She was a pretty, vivacious and outgoing young woman, and her nights were filled with dates, parties and dances. After she graduated from Muskegon Heights in 1943, Betty headed off to Hope College in Holland, where she majored in History to earn her teaching degree. In 1947, diploma in hand, Betty took her first job as a history teacher at Byron Center High School. She also became the girls basketball coach, and made some good friends. One day Betty went to pick cherries with a friend, when they spotted a handsome young man leaning up against his shiny new car. Betty bet her friend that she could go talk to him and drive his car and thats exactly what she did! She marched over and introduced herself to the man, a World War II Army vet just back from the war named Robert Afton. It was love at first sight for both of them, and Betty waved to her friend as she drove by in Roberts car! The two began dating, fell head over heels, and were married on March 25, 1949, beginning a beautiful life together. Betty continued teaching in Byron Center, while Robert went to watch repair school in Grand Rapids. Eventually, the newlyweds built a new home in Bailey, Michigan, north of the city, where Betty began teaching in a little one-room schoolhouse. Robert found a good job at Shaw Box Crane in Muskegon. The couple soon became mother and father, as well. They celebrated the birth of their first child, Dale, in 1951, followed by Jeanne in 1954, Sharon in 1955, and Paul in 1960. In 1956, the growing family moved once again, this time to the Village of Fruitport, where they bought a beautiful home at 205 Maple Street, and where they formed so many fond memories together, just down the street from Spring Lake. Betty began substitute teaching, while she stayed busy raising her family. Fruitport truly became her home, and she became very close with her neighbors and her community. She and her neighbors would get together daily for their treasured morning coffee (Betty loved coffee), where they solved the worlds problems, one cup and conversation at a time. Naturally, Betty was a very supportive and active mother, and very involved in her childrens educations. She was active in the PTA, serving as president, and an avid, longtime supporter of Fruitport Schools and her community. Betty was a beloved figure in her town, serving as Village Clerk, and was also involved with the Lions Club and the yearly carnival, too. They were also longtime, faithful and active members of the Fruitport Congregational UCC Church. The family did much together, from camping, hunting and fishing up north to the family farm, to spending the Christmas holidays at Bettys parents home in Bonita Springs, Florida each year. The family also bought a cabin on Nichols Lake, where they shared so many great experiences together with friends and extended family over the years. After they retired, Betty and Robert began to travel, and visited all over the world together. They went to Alaska, toured all across Europe, visited Malaysia and the Far East, too. Betty loved traveling, loved experiencing new cultures, learning about people. She was a very compassionate person, and passionate in her beliefs. She was very opinionated, a lifelong, vocal Democrat and staunch supporter of unions and public schools, too. And while she could be brash, she was always beloved, and her love for the people around her was never in question. Betty was especially delighted when she became a grandmother, with her first grandchild, Matt, in 1982. Betty was ecstatic, and spoiled him rotten, just as she did for every grandchild to follow. Bettys life wasnt without its heartache, however. Her father died in 1974, which was very hard on her, as she was very close to her parents. She lost her mother in 1991, and in 2000, her son Paul died suddenly, a loss she never truly recovered from. Sadly, Bettys beloved Robert died in 2003, and her health soon began to decline. In the summer of 2008, Bettys health worsened, and she went into hospice care. Sadly, she died on Saturday, August 30, 2008, surrounded by her family, at the age of 83. Betty was a strong, supportive woman, brash and brazen, yet so loyal and loving. She was firm in her beliefs, a woman of principle and passion, of character and compassion. Betty was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and a teacher to so many of us. Today her love, and her lessons, live on in all who knew her. She will be so greatly missed. Betty is survived by her loving family, Robert Dale Afton Jr, Jeanne (Joe) Afton Olovson & Sharon Kay Afton; 4 grandchildren, Mathew Joseph Olovson, Michelle Suzanne Olovson, Robert Dale Afton III & Alexander Daniel Koroloewicz; 2 brothers, Gerald Brown & Bernard (Joan) Timmer. Betty was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband, Robert Dale Afton Sr., son, Paul James Afton, daughter-in-law, Cheryl Marie Afton & 2 brothers, James "Sonny" & Doug. A celebration of Betty's life will take place Saturday, September 6, 2008, 5:00 - 8:00 PM at Fruitport Auditorium. Memorial donations may be made to the Fruitport Education Foundation Scholarship Fund. To share a memory or photo of Betty, or to sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com.

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