Obituary of Betty Hughes Luce

Betty was born March 10, 1933, to Charles Leroy and Caroline A. (Hughes) Hestand in Jones, Oklahoma, on the family farm. She was born prematurely and had a rough start in life, but she was developing her spirit, which got her through 89 years of adventures.

 

For example, Grandpa Hestand raised watermelons.  She and her sister Virginia would jump on the horse, and of course, the horse knew exactly where they were going.  The girls would pick out melons, the ones that didn’t have an “x” on them. (Those were the ones Dad would sell.) Betty and Virginia would eat the sweet hearts out of the watermelons, and the horse got the rest. (No wonder the horse knew where to go!)

 

Betty and Grandma Hestand came to live in Washington in 1947. Grandma taught school at McLane Grade School, and Betty went to high school at Olympia High, graduating in 1951.

 

Betty married William C. “Bill” Luce on May 18, 1951.  They raised four children and were involved in their many activities. Betty and Bill enjoyed a wonderful 63 years of marriage, and she missed him so much when he passed in July 2014. 

 

An excellent cook, Betty was a homemaker extraordinaire.  She loved cooking, canning, housekeeping, reading, knitting and crocheting, and writing letters.   She will be remembered for her cornbread and beans.  Also, she always had cookies at the house; everyone knew when she had baked and seemed to show up just in time to enjoy them.  Betty was always feeding someone, which she learned from her mom, as well as how to take care of others.  She was a good mom, stubborn and tenacious but always there for the kids.  She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Olympia.

 

Betty passed away March 2, 2022 in Tumwater, Washington.

 

She is survived by her daughters, Caroline Luce of Tumwater, Julie (Rick) Watts of Rochester, and Megan Hatcher (Art Synder) of Tumwater; granddaughter, Kayden Hatcher; and niece, Julia Ojard and family.  She was predeceased by her husband Bill (2014); sister, Virginia Nichols (2014); son, Paul Luce (2018).  The family feels blessed to have such great parents and siblings.  They are missed so very much.

 

It’s hard to put into words Betty’s 89 years of living in a few paragraphs.  There are so many great stories to tell.

 

God bless you all until we meet again.  We love you!

 

Services will be held Saturday, March 12, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at South Sound Manor, 455 North St. SE, Tumwater, WA 98501.

 

Memorial donations may be made to Assured Hospice or charity of your choice.

 

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