Betty Lou (Smith) Eck

UPDATE:​

Services for Betty have been rescheduled.  There will be 2 hours of visitation prior to the 2:00 pm funeral ceremony on Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Cruz Family Funeral Home.  Interment will be held at South Park Cemetery in Greensburg, Indiana at 12:00 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2020.  Thank you for your patience while the details of  the services were nearing finalization.

Betty Lou (Smith) Eck, beloved mother, cherished sister, and doting grandmother, was called home by her Lord and Savior on her 97th birthday at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, while surrounded by family.  She passed away at Miller’s Merry Manor of Wakarusa following a brief illness with Coronavirus.

On August 26, 1923, Betty Lou Smith was born in St. Paul, Indiana, to the late James and Mabel (Bird) Smith.  Following her high school graduation, she obtained a Diploma in Nursing from University Hospital in Indianapolis and went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree.  She was employed at the Marion County Health Department in Indianapolis for several years before relocating to Mishawaka with her family.  She accepted the position of School Nurse for Mishawaka Schools and served faithfully for over fifteen years before retiring.

Mrs. Eck was a longtime member of the Sunnyside Presbyterian Church in South Bend. She served others during overseas mission trips and volunteered in Washington, DC’s homeless shelters.   She enjoyed traveling, playing her organ, classical music concerts, bird watching, and spending time with loved ones outdoors.

Surviving are her children David Eck of Chattanooga, Tennessee; Sophia (Edgar) Russell of East Lansing, Michigan; Dr. Jeffrey (Hope) Eck, and Gary (Rose) Eck, both of Osceola.  Mrs. Eck is also survived by her brother Frank (Mary) Smith of St. Paul, sixteen grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her cherished pet “Ty,” a talking Eclectus Parrot.