Betty E. Gater

Burial will be at the Prairie Lawn Cemetery at Spaulding. Memorials may be made in Bettys name.
Betty Eloise Gater, the daughter of Wallace and Mary Margaret (Claussen) Nelson, was born on April 14, 1921, at Renwick, Iowa. Betty entered eternal rest on May 6, 2007, at her home near Creston, Iowa, at the age of eighty-six years and twenty-two days.
Betty graduated from Webster City High School, and was Salutatorian of her Class of 1939. She received a Bachelor Degree in English Literature from Iowa State University at the age of sixty. On December 16, 1942, she married Morris Lytton Gater at Ames, Iowa.
Betty has lived in the Creston area since 1953. Betty worked as the church secretary of the First Christian Church for several years. Following that, Betty decorated cakes for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. She also taught cake decorating at Southwestern Community College for two years. Betty was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church; a member of the Spaulding Neighbors who get together each month; and was active in the B.P.W. and served as an officer. Betty enjoyed writing poetry and had two poems published in the Iowa Poetry Book called Lyrical Iowa. Betty also liked to go fishing on occasion and canned fruits and vegetables while she was able.
Preceding Betty in death were her parents; her husband in 1998; her brother: Merlin Nelson; and her sister: Joyce Cope.
Left to mourn Bettys passing are her children: David Gater, Nokomis, Florida; Ronald (Teena) Gater, Columbia, Missouri; Bradley Gater, Nome, Alaska; Jeffrey (Sherry) Gater, Colorado Springs, Colorado; her grandchildren: Eric (Susan) Gater, Columbia, Missouri; Brian (Pamela) Gater, St. Charles, Missouri; Bethany (Robert) Morris, Yorkville, Illinois; her great-grandchildren: Miranda Gater; Mason Morris and Logan Morris; her sisters: Donna Cope, Floris, Iowa; Phyllis (Jim) Elliott, Flourissant, Missouri; her brother-in-law: Harold Cope, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.