Bettye J Conner

May 13, 1922 - April 30, 2015

Bettye J. Conner, 92, of South Bend passed away at Ironwood Health and Rehabilitation Center on Thursday, April 30, 2015 after an extended illness. Services celebrating her life will be held at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, May 5, at the First Congregational Church in St. Joseph with Rev. Dr. Robert Braman officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. Visitation will be held from 11 AM until 1:30 PM on Tuesday at the First Congregational Church. Arrangements are by the Florin Funeral Service. 983-1415. Please share memories, messages or photos at www.florin.net. Bettye was born on May 13, 1922 in Evansville, IN to Lowry and Martha Lashey. She graduated from Shawnee High School in Louisville, KY in 1939. She married John R. Conner on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949 in Evansville and together they celebrated 66 years of marriage. Bettye was always very involved in the various churches they attended over the 66 years of their marriage. She was an active member of PEO Chapter DV in St. Joseph. She was president of the Women’s Fellowship for 3 years, 1976-1978 at the First Congregational Church. Because of her husband’s employment and transfers in 6 different companies, they lived in Evansville; Richmond, IN; 3 suburbs of Chicago; Lancaster, PA; and Wichita, KS. In 1968, John and Bettye purchased Modern Light Metals, Inc. near Coloma (Fabricators of various materials handling equipment). Since John’s retirement in 1986, they company has been owned and operated by sons, Robert and Kevin and daughter, Linda. After John’s retirement, they lived in Sun City, AZ for 10 years. For the past 11 years they lived in Independent Living at The Sanctuary in St. Paul’s in South Bend. She is survived by her husband, John; her daughter, Linda Conner of St. Joseph; her sons Robert W. Conner of St. Joseph and Kevin E. Conner of Benton Harbor; her sister, Dr. C. Elaine Lane of Indianapolis, IN; her 4 grandchildren: Zachary Benkowski and Joanna Benkowski, both of Chicago, IL, and Alissa Malakan and Jennifer Nandaniya, both of Fresno, CA; her 3 great-grandchildren all of Fresno; and her numerous Lashley nephews and nieces in or near Evansville, IN.