Betty Nadyne (Spencer) Hatcher, 92, of Trenton, quietly passed away surrounded by her three daughters on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in hospice care at Wright Memorial Hospital after a short illness.
Betty was born on December 29, 1931, and was a lifelong resident of the Missouri Green Hills area. In 1949, she graduated from Humphreys High School and married the love of her life, Edward Hatcher. Together on their farm, they raised their three girls: Paula, Denise, and Shelli. Betty cherished her time on the farm and was a dedicated and proud farmwife. Whenever Edward needed help, she was there—whether in the fields, working crops, tending cattle, or maintaining fence lines. Meals were always waiting for Edward and the girls. She planned, planted, tilled, and harvested her gardens, canned vegetables, sewed clothes, and ensured her family’s needs were met.
Throughout her life, she attended church weekly at the Milan Christian Church, the Community Christian Church, which she named, and later at the Galt Christian Church. She was a member of the Garden Club, PTA, and many other organizations. Betty and Edward hosted regular neighborhood card games with nearby friends in Bowman Township, often playing “Pitch” and Bridge. They enjoyed going to auctions, farm sales, estate sales, and garage sales looking for bargains.
A memorable story involves Edward dropping Betty off at a house auction in Trenton while he went to another sale. She made an opening bid to get things started, and when nobody else bid, she unexpectedly became the owner of the house where she spent her last 15 years. Although Edward did not find the situation humorous at first, Betty greatly enjoyed her house on Lake Manor Drive and all her new neighbors after his death. As she made new friends in Trenton, she enjoyed dancing at the Chillicothe Senior Center twice a month. She also volunteered at the Trenton Thrift Store and the local blood drives, handing out juice and cookies.
Betty had a passion for traveling, visiting places like Alaska on an Alaskan cruise, Niagara Falls, Mackinaw, Michigan, and the Grand Canyon, among others. She loved watching “Wheel of Fortune” every night and became a local folk hero on the birthdays and anniversary shows on KTTN, being a regular caller for decades. Many people knew her voice from the radio, even if they had never met her in person. Her life was well-lived, and all who knew her were blessed. She will be greatly missed.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Hatcher; her parents, Leonard and Molly (Stinson) Spencer; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Vecil and Esther (Jaynes) Hatcher; her sisters, Arlene (Jens) Holtet, Jesse (Harold) Neely, Vondell (Burton) Koger, Carolee (Harry) McKinley, and Mary Alice (Omer) Williams; her brothers, Earl (Georgia) Spencer and Billy (Marion) Spencer; and a son in infancy, Kyle Hatcher.
Betty is survived by her three daughters: Paula, Denise, and Shelli (Steve); her grandchildren, Brad (Tina) White, Mollie White, Jacob Waggoner, Casey (Melissa) Waggoner, and Esther Waggoner; her great-grandchildren, Amy, Bryce, Bradyn, Brielle, and Brinsley White; Ray Jr., Tatyana, Jesus, and Dominic Rivas; Ezmeralda White; Nova and Mia Waggoner; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Services for Betty will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the Galt Christian Church in Galt, Missouri, with a visitation starting at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow at the Wilhite Cemetery, west of Milan, Missouri. An additional visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, August 30, at Ruschmeier-Smith Funeral Home in Milan.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Galt Christian Church or the Grundy County Jewett Norris Library.
