Betty Marie Lehmann Stoecker, 98, passed away on May 20, 2020 at Logan County Senior Living in Oakley.  Betty was born April 30, 1922, in Greenwood County, Kansas, the daughter of Gladys Estelle Hale and Emil Herman Lehmann.  Her mother was a music and art student of Birger Sandzen at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas, and her paintings are prized family heirlooms.  Her father was a cattle rancher who ran the Gurley Ranch now known as The Nature Conservancy Smoky Valley Ranch.  Betty had one brother, Emil Herman Lehmann, Jr. (Junior) who was a WWII veteran and fought with an Armored Division of Patton's Army in Germany.  His tank division was the first to free prisoners from a Nazi concentration camp.  Junior died in 1989.

Betty and her family lived in a limestone ranch headquarters home near the Smoky Hill River, a beautiful area with rolling prairie and limestone outcroppings.  Many of the prehistoric skeletons of reptiles, dinosaurs and fish preserved in the Sternberg Museum, Hays, were collected from fossil beds on the ranch, and Betty's family hosted the Sternberg's on some expeditions.

Schooling for Betty and her brother was at the Monument schools, a round trip of about 40 miles, graduating with the class of 1939.  During High School she was selected to attend a music contest and Betty played her selection on the Bosendorfer grand piano at the Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  She remained close with her classmates after graduation and relished the annual reunions, and supported and led the alumni association.

Following graduation, Betty attended Brown Mackie Business College in Salina, then accepted a position in the business office of North American Aviation, a defense factory in Kansas City, Kansas, where B-25 bombers were assembled for the defense of our country in the wars with Japan and Germany.  After the end of WWII, she lived briefly in Denver, Colorado and Boise, Idaho, then returned to her parent's home at the Gurley Ranch.

Betty married Lawrence C. Stoecker on October 14, 1951 in Oakley.  They took up residence at the Stoecker family home, in Stoeckerville, southwest of Oakley.  Many years of raising wheat and cattle followed that included Betty preparing and delivering many evening meals to the fields during harvest, which we as youngsters enjoyed.  In 1965 Betty took a job with the Farmer's State Bank in Oakley.  She enjoyed her job and the many friends she made with other employees and patrons of the Bank.  As a community-minded bank, there were a multitude of celebrations, promotions and good will activities that she joined in with relish and enthusiasm.

After her retirement from the Farmers State Bank in 1984, Betty and several of her friends compiled and published "The History of Logan County" in 1986, a recounting of the county and the towns in it, and details of the family heritage and adventures of those who contributed.  She spent many happy hours researching, interviewing and writing about local families, their ancestry and their favorite memories.  Later, she researched and compiled family histories and photographs for the Stoecker and Lehmann families and gave copies to her children.  In addition to her historical research, she was a prolific letter writer and enjoyed correspondence with her children and grand and great-grandchildren, and friends across the country.  She and a group of lady friends enjoyed many years of hand quilting projects and she later sewed many small wall hangings for the different seasons, which we cherish.

Betty and Lawrence enjoyed many good years of retirement, with vacations to Hawaii, Alaska, California and North Carolina.  There were also numerous family gatherings in Hiawatha and Kansas City for holidays and special occasions.  The Golden Years eventually began to fade when Lawrence began to decline with Alzheimer's Disease.  Betty became his full-time caretaker in their home, without any complaint.  As his condition worsened, he moved to the Logan County Manor for a few weeks and then was transported to the Rose Behavioral Health Unit of the Memorial Hospital in Abilene, Kansas, where he died on October 4, 2007.

Twice in her life Betty faced critical health issues.  In 1982, a congenital heart condition required a Life Flight from Oakley to Kansas City, where she received emergency surgery and a temporary pacemaker at St. Luke's Heart Institute.  She recovered fully.  In late September, 2007, she was flown by Life Flight to St. Luke's where open-heart surgery was successfully performed.  During recovery and rehab she watched Redbirds play at the birdfeeders.  With their beautiful coloring and pleasant manners, she adopted the Redbirds as her symbol of faith and hope.

Betty enjoyed playing the piano and singing with the Sing-a-Long gals who sang at the Hansen Apartments and the Logan County Manor for many years.  She also enjoyed playing cards with family and friends.  She continued her life-long education every chance she got, keeping up on the local and world-wide news, reading the newspapers, and following her children's and grandchildren's travels with her atlas and her research.  And she watched the K-State Wildcats football and basketball games on her television every chance she got.

Betty is survived by her son, Gary (Mary) Stoecker of Oakley, and grandchildren; Michelle of Lawrence, Mark and John of Oakley; her daughter, Marianne (Mike) Schmitt of Hiawatha, grandson, Jason (Tina) Schmitt, and great-granddaughters; Lauren and Charlotte, all of Overland Park, and grandson, Daniel Schmitt of West Hollywood, CA; her son, David (Rita) Tripp of Leawood, and grandchildren: Megan Tripp and great-grandson, Oliver, of Hilo, Hawaii; granddaughter, Jessica Tripp (Dan) Bates and great-grandson, Lucas, all of La Jolla, CA; step grandchildren: Tyler of Kansas City, MO, Katherine of Leawood, Scott and Brad of Overland Park, and step great-grandchildren: Anna, Jane, Margaret Rose, Caroline, and Eloise.

The family of Betty Stoecker acknowledges with humble hearts, their appreciation for your expression of sympathy.  You have shared your prayers, visits and calls, and we are forever grateful.  Thank you for celebrating Betty's life with us.  May God continue His blessing on each of you.

Due to the critical situation our country is in please remember the family during this difficult time.  Consider sending a card or note on our website:  www.kennedykosterfh.com.

Betty was a strong Christian and a member of the Oakley United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women.  Visitation with social distancing protocols will be from 3:00-7:00 pm, Friday, May 29, at the Oakley United Methodist Church.  A private service is planned for the immediate family with Pastor Dan Hutton, officiating.  Interment will be in the Oakley Cemetery.  Memorials:  Oakley United Methodist Church and Logan County Senior Living can be sent to Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley, KS  67748.

Online Guestbook:  www.kennedykosterfh.com