After a courageous battle with cancer, Elizabeth Jewel “Betty” VanWinkle, 76, passed away on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015. A viewing and visitation will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. today (Oct. 2) at the Snowflake Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Ninth South Second West. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m., with interment immediately after at the Mike Ramsay Cemetery in Snowflake.
She was born Sept. 23, 1939, in Globe to Thomas Nelson and Margaret Nell (Beedle) Billingsley. She was the sixth of eight children.
She attended school at Miami High School, where she met the love of her life, Stanley “Rip” VanWinkle. They were married shortly after graduation on June 1, 1957, and lived there until they moved to Snowflake in 1974. They were blessed with four children, Ken, Mike, Jerry and Lori, and in 1970, they were sealed as a family in the Mesa Arizona Temple for time and all eternity.
Betty worked for Highland Primary School in Snowflake as the Title I instructor and later as the secretary for a total of 23 years. She loved her job and all of the principals, teachers and children she saw daily.
She was a member of the LDS church, and selflessly served in the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary organizations, but of all her callings she truly enjoyed working at the temple.
She is survived in life by her loving husband, Stanley “Rip” VanWinkle of Snowflake; three sons, Ken (Roni) VanWinkle of Show Low, Michael (Allison) VanWinkle and Jerry (Beverly) VanWinkle of Snowflake; and a daughter, Lori (David) Fawcett of Show Low. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren; siblings Barbara Stewart, Evelyn (Ivan) Phillips, Neal Billingsley, Lois Clayton, Dottie (Gates) McAllister and Margie (John) Billingsley; and sister-in-law, Kay Billingsley.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Nell Billingsley; her brother, Dale Billingsley; and two brothers-in-law, Don Stewart and Val Clayton.
Silver Creek Mortuary of Taylor was in charge of the arrangements.
