Betty Weise

Betty Jane Weise was an active woman, skilled professional and superb mother. She contributed to her community in her career and as a volunteer. Being independent, honest and hard working, she taught her children to have the same values, and by her own accomplishments, she showed that anything was possible. Betty always had time for her family and set an example for everyone around her. Betty was born and raised in Fruitport, Michigan, the daughter of John and Edna (Petersen) McManamey. She grew up with three brothers, two sisters and two other children whom the McManamey family cared for until their own parents could afford to provide for them. Such care came naturally to Bettys mother, who served as a midwife in the community and took in laundry while her husband was in the business of selling scales. The family lived on a small farm, where Betty learned to be a very responsible child. She was expected to care for the farm animals, and by age 12, she was already assisting her mother with midwifery. Betty was a third generation Baha'i. She lived her religion every day. Her grandmother and mother were both teachers of Baha'i. Her grandmother was one of the first ones to bring the religion to Fruitport. In addition to her varied tasks, Betty had multiple talents and wasnt afraid to try new things. During her school years, she played many musical instruments, including guitar, piano, saxophone and clarinet. She liked to roller skate, ice skate and ride her beloved horse Teddy. Betty also trained horses and once tried to ride a Brahma bull in the rodeojust to see if she could! Well, she could, but for a short time only. Betty walked away from that experience with a few broken ribs. All through school, Betty had two best friends that she would keep for life: Jeannie Schaffer and Reatha Schaub. They were always together. With all her outside activities, Betty still helped at home by working at what is now known as Grover's Pharmacy in Fruitport. By the time she graduated from Fruitport high school in 1943, Betty had already lived a lifetime. Marriage and family brought Betty joy and sorrow. She married Clifford Hart and had three children with himMary, Ken and Sherri. Betty later married Walter Weise, and her family grew to include his childrenMike, Carleen and Luannewhom she regarded as her own. Mike has since passed away. In the early years, the family spent a lot of time around water and the beachcamping, boating, skiing and fishing. They also played cards and board games that they enjoyed into adulthood. Being a active woman, Betty joined in her kids activities such as roller skating every week and sledding in winter as often as they could. One time, Betty was bored taking the same straight path down the hill, so she upped-the-ante by showing everyone how to go down the tree-lined hill. She made it partway but hit a stump and slid the rest of the way down the hill on her backside. Betty was so sore after that, she couldn't move. Betty had a generous spirit and an open heart. As a result, the house was a menagerie of pets of all kindscats, dog, snakes, hamsters, gerbils, insects, turtles, fish and guinea pigs. Whatever pets the kids brought home, Betty was never bothered to have them in the house. Whenever the kids had their friends over, she always made them welcome. In fact, all their friends called her Mom. Even then, Bettys children knew they held the most important place in her heart. Betty parented by example. Every Friday, she took the kids with her to help their grandma with grocery shopping. One went with Grandma and two with Betty, and they all went for ice cream or a hamburger afterward. Betty also taught her children to be generous with their time and resources. If a charitable organization put out a plea for donations, Betty was sure to collect the needed items or send in her contribution. She helped people whenever she could and never wavered in caring for her mother Edna, her Uncle Henry and her husband Walt until each passed away. Over the years, she volunteered with Meals-On-Wheels and used her professional skills wherever they were needed. In her career life, Betty started as a bus driver and worked her way up to Administrator of Transportation for Fruitport Public Schools. She was responsible for all the state maps, creating the routes, dispatching drivers and assigning children to their bus routes. She knew every child and exactly which bus they each rode. She also traveled throughout the state of Michigan teaching school bus driving. Even after retiring, Betty drove truck with R Trucking and couldnt get enough of traveling around Michigan and other states. She maintained a valid CDL until she was 85 and only quit driving truck when she was 83. As if she wasnt busy enough in retirement, Betty went snowmobiling, loved to travel by motorcycle, belonged to the Eagles and V.F.W. Post (both husbands had been in the military) and played in a golf league until she was 84. She helped organize an annual school reunion, kept score for teams at the Pin Crest Bowling Lanes and was responsible for maintaining the paperwork for the golf league. Along with her daughter Sherri, Betty became interested in genealogies, and the two of them traveled to various cemeteries and researched records. Always on the go, Betty and her lifelong friend Reatha liked to go out dancingthe jitterbug, no lessand of course Wednesday meant casino days in Manistee. Betty also enjoyed upholstering, camping, gardening, bowling and playing the organ and piano. Wanting to travel whenever possible, Betty spent a lot of time in Hawaii with her husband Walt while he was still in good health. Being of Danish-Irish decent, she twice made a trip to Denmark and England and was able to stay with her Danish relatives. Later, they came to the US to see how we lived. Throughout her life, Betty had so much to give to so many. Mrs. Betty (Hart) Weise, age 88, passed away Monday, December 9, 2013 due to injuries from a car accident. She was a very loving person who was always helping others. She will be greatly missed. Surviving are Bettys children, Mary Ann (Hart) Vargas of Muskegon, Kenneth (Renee) Hart of Nunica, Carleen Weise of FL; Luanne (Vince) DeCarbo of FL; Sherri Hart of Muskegon; several grand and great grandchildren; special niece, Cleo Aurich. She was preceded in death by husbands, Clifford Hart and Walter Weise; son, Michael Gue; siblings, Eleanor (Ron) Shields, Bob (Clarice) McManamey, Marv (Jane) McManamey, Jimmy McManamey. A Celebration of Betty's life will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2014, 1:00 PM at the Clock Funeral Home, 1469 Peck Street, Muskegon, MI. MEMORIAL: In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book. Clock Funeral Home-Muskegon