Born on July 1, 1933, in Dallas, South Dakota, Betty Lou was the first of four children born to August and Helen Rothleutner. In 1934, the family moved to Ewing, Nebraska, where they welcomed a second daughter, Shirley Ann. After a crop failure in 1936, they relocated once more — this time settling between two large cities in Washington, where son John August was born and later, a third daughter, Joyce, who sadly passed away at just one month old.
As children, they walked a mile to school each day, always changing out of their school clothes before starting chores. Betty attended Auburn School, where she especially enjoyed Home Economics, Music, and P.E.
In 1951, Betty married the love of her life, Peter Schipper, and together they made their home in Enumclaw, Washington, raising five children. Betty was deeply devoted to her family and was a constant, loving presence in their lives. She was a master of many talents—gardening, canning, cooking, baking, and sewing—and she found great joy in caring for her yard and flowers. Ever graceful, polite, and kind, Betty remained a true lady throughout her life. Her favorite place on earth was Ocean Shores.
On Monday, April 14, 2025, Betty passed away of Broken Heart Syndrome, unable to bear life without her beloved Peter. While her family is heartbroken, they find peace knowing she has reunited with her husband, parents, brother, sister, son Michael, daughter Marva, and granddaughter Elizabeth.
She is survived by her sister, Shirley Ann Nelson of Montana; daughters Wanda (Tony) Madill and Claudia (David) Shirey; daughter Taylor VanCleave; and son-in-law Kyle Smith. Betty also leaves behind a legacy of love through her grandchildren: John, Erica, Kevin, April, Nicholas, David, Holly, Whitney, Justin, Gunnar, Dakota, and Duke; 26 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild on the way.
A celebration of Betty’s life will be held on Thursday, May 1st at 12:00 PM at Mount Rainier Christian Center (MRCC, mrcc.churchcenter.com), 1878 Osceola St N, Enumclaw, WA 98022, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to MRCC or the Enumclaw Wellness Foundation.
