BETTY WHITE

Betty J. White, age 91, of Cortland, Illinois passed away on Monday, September 14, 2020 peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family.

Betty Jean Taylor was born on April 25, 1929, the daughter of Roy and Vesta (Marr) Taylor in Kingston, Illinois.  She grew up in Northern Illinois including Garden Prairie, Capron, Kingston and DeKalb and later moved to Cortland where she has resided since 1958.  She graduated from Capron High School in 1947.  She married Bacile E. White on December 22, 1948 at the First Congregational Church in DeKalb.

In the early years, Betty worked at a Maid Rite Diner and The DeKalb Daily Chronicle.  She spent 31 years working at IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. in Sycamore as a Data Key Punch Operator and an Accounts Receivable Specialist retiring in May, 1995.

She was a member of the First Congregational Church for over 60 years and sang in the church choir.  She served as the co-chairperson for the Women's Fellowship Funeral Committee for many years until her recent illness and the COVID pandemic.  She was a 4-H Leader for the Cortland Cloverettes while her four daughters were members.  She was also active in the Cortland Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and the Cortland Lions Club.  She enjoyed playing Pinochle and Bunco with her friends. Thursday was her day to meet with local friends for lunch at Sam's Restaurant in Cortland.  Her most important activity was to spend time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great- grandchildren.

She will be dearly missed by her four daughters and their families including Cheryl Turner, Paula (Bob) McCall, Andrea (Dean) Bolton, Laurie (John) Lindstrom; five grandchildren, Karyn Smith (Craig Michaelis), Kristophyre (Stacy) McCall, Angela (Jarrod) Dowling, Megan (Robert) Rusch, and Kyle (Kate) Lindstrom; and six great-grandchildren, Spencer McCall, Preston McCall, Ireland Dowling, Nash Dowling, Julia Lindstrom and Toula Lindstrom.  Also surviving are her brother Allen (Selma) Taylor, brother-in-law's Byron (Rose) White and Gary (Reta) White and sister-in-law Nora Szarwinski.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband Bacile in 2007, her son-in-law Rodney Turner in 2016, her brother Lavern Taylor in 1995 and four in-law's: Helen Taylor, Lucille & Alva Yamnitz and Dorothy Rhea.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2020 from 5 to 7 pm at the Finch Funeral Home, 310 Oak Street, DeKalb, IL.  Masks and Social Distancing will be required.  Funeral Services will be held on Monday, September 21, 2020 at 10:30 am at the First Congregational Church, 615 North First Street, DeKalb, IL with Rev. Joe Gastiger officiating.  Burial will follow at Charter Oak Cemetery, Cherry Valley Road, Kirkland, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family in care of the Finch Funeral Home, 310 Oak Street, DeKalb, IL  60115.