Betty Lou Van Schaick, 86, Waverly, Kansas passed away peacefully in her sleep Thursday, March 28, 2024, at Coffey County Hospital. Betty was born August 21, 1937, on the family farm south of Waverly, Kansas. She was born to Leonard and Helen Mckinstry. Betty attended Prairieview Rural School, Burlington High School and graduated from Waverly High School in 1955.

She met Wayne "Tony" Van Schaick when he was stationed at Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka. They married in August 1955, they later divorced but remained good friends until his death in May 1991.

She is survived by her children Rita (Dave) Poire of Waverly Kansas and Jim (Anita) Van Schaick of Halstead, Kansas, two sisters Shirley Vaughn, Carol (Larry) Williams, sister-in-law Mary Jo McKinstry, grandchildren Katie VanSchaick, Hillary (Ginnell) Schrag, and Keith (Ashley) Unruh. Great-grandchildren; Heriberto Rodriguez, Dahlia Frederick, Kaida Schrag, Kaleb, Noah, Alyssa and Ciera Unruh, Alex Alexander and several nieces and nephews. Extended family includes Hanni (Kurt) Werner, Dawn (Chris) Mesa, Dennis Smith, and literally hundreds of people she touched that she considered as family.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter Toni Lynn Van Schaick, her brothers James and Homer McKinstry and brother-in-law Leo Vaughn.

"Ma" Betty worked as a waitress for many years, and she loved to talk about the many people she met working the tables as she called it. She worked at Coopman's Kennels / Plasti-Crates near Waverly and considered Dick, Rose, and their children as family, Betty also work at the Coffey County Courthouse, The New Strawn Boat Plant, The Burlington Schools, and found her calling at Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation. After retiring from Wolf Creek, she received many offers of employment in which she had a hard time saying no, so she went back to work at JEM Propane (The Boyce Family which she also considered family) and the LeRoy COOP until her children finally convinced her that she was retired!  She loved to go with her sisters to the casinos, she would always tell her kids she was only "playing" the penny machines not to worry!  Betty worked for Flur Daniels at Wolf Creek during construction, where she oversaw hiring and insurance benefits.  She did her best to hire as many local people as she could, when word got out, soon on many occasions she would drive home only to find a line of cars in her driveway of people looking for jobs. "Ma" Betty did her best to make sure those in need got a job. She knew most her employees, and their spouses, and kids, she soon became mom and grandma too the many people she helped employee. She loved to travel which took her to Alaska, to Canada and Germany so many photo albums and stories revolved around those adventures.

Betty's other passions other than her children and family was helping people give homes to abandoned animals, she would never turn one away, when word got out about that, (needless to say) her children always had a pet!

Betty always had plenty of love for her family, friends, and those in need.

Funeral services will be held 1:30 P.M. Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Prairie View Church southwest of Waverly. Burial will follow in Prairie View Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Burlington Animal Shelter or the Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue Ranch, Junction City, Kansas, and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, PO Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.