Obituary - Betty Lou (Reedy) Wales Pearcy

Betty Lou (Reedy) Wales Pearcy

Betty Lou (Reedy) Wales Pearcy, 87, passed away October 22, 2016 at the Lake Stockton Healthcare Facility in Stockton. She was born in November 1928 on a farm near Walker, Mo. to Samuel Jay and Martha (Mitchell) Reedy. Betty grew-up in a happy home of 18 children with nine brothers and eight sisters. Betty attended several schools, including: Lowe, Harwood, Walker and El Dorado Springs.

Betty married Charles Wales in 1946 and they had two daughters, Jackie and Judy. Betty was a beautiful seamstress and sewed most of her daughter’s dresses. She even made their formals when they were in high school and continued on to sew her granddaughter’s dresses.

Betty and Charles divorced in 1967 and she later married Charles Pearcy. They lived in Joplin, Mo. and Grove, Ok. on Grand Lake until Charles’ death in 1978 at which time she moved back to Joplin to be near her daughter, Judy and granddaughter, Tammy. In 1980 Betty moved to El Dorado Springs to be near her older siblings. Her health declined and she moved to the Community Springs Nursing Home in El Dorado Springs in 1982.

While at Community Springs, Betty’s passion was Thomas Kinkade jigsaw puzzles. She constructed dozens of puzzles and her friend, Melissa Anderson, helped her frame them for display. Betty became known as the “Puzzle Lady” at Community Springs. Her puzzles hung in the west corridor and were featured in several exhibits over the years.

As Betty’s health declined more, she transferred to the Stockton Health Care Facility in 2015 to be near her daughter, Judy. She was happy at Stockton and truly loved her home there. Betty had resided in nursing homes for over 34 years.

Betty is survived by her daughters, Jackie Wales and husband, Shawn Nichols, Fortuna, Ca.; Judy Nichols and husband, Darrel, Stockton; grandchildren, Tammy Agee, Stockton; Chris Miller, Stockton and Michelle Hasiuk, Arcata, Ca.; great grandchildren, Liana Ingenthron and husband Nick, Fort Knox, Ky.; Jacob Agee, Branson, Mo.; Sean and Daniel Miller, Kansas City, and Sarah Hasiuk, Arcata, Ca.; great-great grandchildren, Ryan, Wyatt, Jaxon and Emaree Alleah Ingenthron, Fort Knox, Ky.; sisters, Grace Smith, Butler, Mo.; Jewell Ellerman, El Dorado Springs and many nieces and nephews.

A life celebration will be held at Ferry Funeral home in Nevada, Mo. on November 4 at 11:00 a.m. with interment at Ozark Memorial Park in Joplin, Mo. Contributions can be made in her honor to the Patient Activity Fund at Lake Stockton Healthcare Facility in care of Ferry Funeral Home, 301 S. Washington St., Nevada, MO 64772.