Betty Schoeneman

“Betty” Ruby Elizabeth Holder Schoeneman earned a second pair of wings the morning of October 19th, 2024. Unlike the wings she earned at 18 as a light aircraft pilot with a glider rating these new wings took her far beyond our realm. One might even consider her a ‘fighter pilot’ due to her tenacity while fighting off the breast cancer that attacked her body for many years.

Betty was born to AC and Ruby Holder on February 27th, 1949, in the town of Lovington, New Mexico. She was the youngest of three. She attended Lovington High School and graduated in 1967. After high school she attended Colorado Women’s College where she graduated with a degree in history. She also studied in Spain for a year where she fell in love with the country and the culture that opened up her eyes and changed her overall outlook. She enjoyed sharing stories with her friends about her time studying art in the Prado Museum as well as her time in Madrid.

While still in Denver pursuing a career as a flight attendant a man named Tim Schoeneman crossed her path and everything changed. They spent the entire night of their first meeting on a balcony talking. At the time, Betty was dating a man in the Air Force Academy but after their magical night on the balcony, she knew that Tim was the one for her and ended her engagement. Not long after that, Tim drove down to Lovington to meet Betty’s parents (as well as her best friends from high school inadvertently). On their third meeting Betty went to Sioux City, Iowa to meet Tim’s parents. They had a very unique and poignant moment during their fourth meeting where they both said “I do”. Their entire romance and engagement took a mere three months (and many, many long-distance phone calls). While most people would be suspicious about such a short courtship Betty and Tim were proud to say they were lovingly married for 52 years. Recently, Betty was asked if it was ‘love at first sight’ and Betty nodded and smiled with a meaningful and loving glint in her eyes.

Once married, Betty moved to Sioux City, Iowa where they made a home and had two children, Christian, and Adam. While being a stay-at-home mom and wife, she also juggled many activities such as PEO, assisting at St. Thomas Episcopal Church and the Sioux City Art Center. In her spare time she would work on her needlepoint or play classical guitar.

Betty loved to travel to new places especially with Tim. They traveled throughout most of the United States as well as to Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America. On many summer weekends Betty would be Tim’s “First Mate” when they took the kids sailing.

Betty is preceded in death by her mother Ruby, her father AC, her sister Joyce, her brother Richard and her beloved husband Tim. She is survived by her two children Adam and Christian, Christian’s wife Katie, and their three children.

The family would like to say a special thanks to those at Rhonda’s Senior Services based in Sioux City, Iowa. Rhonda and Sandy helped immensely with their domestic help as well as providing moral support to Betty during her cancer treatments. They were also instrumental in helping Betty’s son Adam, who is a resident of Prague in the Czech Republic, return home to say goodbye.

We would also like to thank Hospice of Siouxland for their help in relieving Betty of her pain and their wonderful general assistance.

The next time you go outside or look out the window at the sky look up and hopefully you will see an angel flying with a giggle and with two sets of wings.

A memorial service to honor Betty’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 1, 2024, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sioux City with Rev. Stacey Gerhart officiating. Burial will be at Logan Park Cemetery. Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel is assisting with arrangements.