Bette Elaine McLUEN (11/28/1917 - 06/06/2014)
McLUEN, Bette Elaine Bette E. McLuen, formerly of Anita, Iowa, died at the age of 96 on June 6, 2014 at her home in Spokane, Washington. She had been in declining health for several years. She was born Bette Elaine Lathen on November 28, 1917 on a farm near Elliott, Iowa, to Guy and Grace Lathen and was the fourth of five daughters. She graduated from Elliott High School in 1935 and remained in Iowa until 2001. While living and working as a beautician in Red Oak, she met Ben McLuen of Atlantic, who was a state bank examiner at the time. They married on September 10, 1938, and had three children: Douglas, Thomas and Nancy. They lived in Atlantic for several years before moving to Anita in 1947, where Ben became Head Cashier of the Anita State Bank and later President of the bank. The couple made Anita their home for over fifty years. In addition to raising their three children, Bette became an active member of the Anita United Methodist Church as well as the Anita Chapter of the woman's organization P.E.O., where she served as President. In 1977, she and Ben suffered the terrible loss of their daughter Nancy to cancer. Bette and Ben loved to play bridge, maintained an active social life with friends in both Anita and Atlantic, played golf, traveled extensively with their children, spent winters primarily in California following Ben's retirement, and saw to it their children graduated from college. Bette quilted avidly, making bed covers for each of her children and grandchildren, receiving help from the quilting circle in Anita. All the while she shared her radiant smile, social kindness and tongue-in-cheek humor with all she met. Shortly after Ben's death in 1998, Bette left her small Iowa town and moved into a retirement community in Spokane near her son Tom. There she became the unofficial "welcome lady" for the center, knowing everyone by name. She engaged in the many of the excursions offered by her community, visiting sites all around the area. She and Lisa's parents, Tom and Diana Wickes, became friends and the five often went out together. Two years ago she moved to an assisted living facility, also in Spokane. Bette was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, husband and daughter (Nancy Gustafson). She is survived by her son Doug and his wife Mary of Nashville, TN, and their daughter Kari and husband Reid Zwickel; son Tom and his wife Lisa Wickes of Spokane, WA, his son Aaron and wife Lynda, daughter Emily McLuen and husband Kevin Judson, son Benjamin and wife Shannon, and Tom and Lisa's daughter Chelsea; Susan McLuen, mother of Aaron, Emily and Benjamin; and Nancy's husband Neil Gustafson of La Grande, Oregon and their daughter Ann and husband Irvin Mathews, daughter Jennifer and partner Michelle Labriola, and son Nicholas and wife Leah. She had 13 great-grandchildren. The family plans to gather with friends for memorial services in Anita on September 20th.
