Betty M. Ehr, aged 86, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, surrounded by family. Betty was born on Nov. 7, 1937, in Ridgeview, S.D., to Elizabeth and Jacob Vetter.
She met Leo “John” Ehr in Moses Lake, Wash., and the couple was married on July 18, 1959. They were blessed with four children.
Betty and John worked on John’s family’s farm in Moses Lake until 1963. At that time, they moved to Lewiston where they owned and operated Eddie’s Tavern. In 1967, they sold the tavern and moved to Clarkston where they ran S&S Sales, a wholesale distributorship.
John passed away from lung cancer in 1976. Betty never remarried and continued to raise her children in Clarkston.
Betty worked as manager of Lady J’s, a women’s dress shop and was the owner of Ultimate Fashion, a clothing retailer. She also worked at Holy Family Catholic School in Clarkston as a preschool educator.
In 2002, Betty moved to Medical Lake, Wash., to be closer to family. There, she provided in-home childcare, which included raising her two youngest granddaughters.
She spent her retired years enjoying Wednesday lunch with the ladies at St. Anne’s Catholic Church and watching her daughter, daughter-in-law and three granddaughters show their horses.
Betty spent her life caring for and giving to others. Her home was the place where her children and their friends gathered, where Cub Scout meetings were held and where holidays were celebrated with family. She would talk proudly about the variety of jobs she held and organizations she volunteered with but being a mother, grandmother and a business owner were the jobs she was most proud of.
Betty was a wonderful storyteller and loved to talk about her time growing up in rural South Dakota, fights she broke up while working the closing shift in the tavern, and the mischief her children and grandchildren got into. She loved sewing, collecting dolls and watching Jeopardy and would always have a fresh batch of peanut brittle ready around the holidays. Betty taught her family how to be strong and independent but also how to be kind to others and about the importance of giving back.
Betty is survived by her four children; Richard (Teri), Robert (Wendy), Russell (Karen) and Margaret (Russell) Adair; grandchildren; Sean (Therese) Ehr, Lisa (Ben) Adair, Marissa Murphy, Connor (Courtney) Ehr, Nate Murphy, Kristen Ehr and Nicole Ehr; great-grandchildren; Ronon, Rozalie and Harper; and siblings Jim, Dennis and Linda.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Betty at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1002 Chestnut St., Clarkston. A graveside service, at Vineland Cemetery will follow the funeral, and then a luncheon.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Holy Family Catholic School, in Clarkston: holyfamilyclarkston.com.
Special thanks to Horizon Hospice of Spokane who guided our family through the final weeks of Betty’s care.
