Betty L. Wardrip

Betty L. Wardrip, age 78, of Osage, Iowa, and formerly of Mason City, passed away Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, at the Osage Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Osage, after a courageous five year battle with cancer.

Betty was born Nov. 29, 1930, at Winner, S.D. In 1949, she graduated from high school at Wall Lake, Iowa. Betty and her husband, Clyde, operated Mason City Furniture and Clyde's Furniture Mart, along with Betty owning and operating Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Mason City, for many years. In 1973, they moved to California and had a furniture store in Fallbrook, Calif., until retiring in 1983. Betty moved back to north Iowa in the mid 1990s. She lived at the Evergreen Apartments and then Apple Valley Assisted Living for the last few months of her life. Betty was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Osage. She loved to quilt, knit, paint, and read.

Funeral services will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009, at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage with the Rev. Bruce Kaltwasser officiating. Burial will be at the Osage Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage.

Memorials may be given to Hospice of North Iowa.

Betty is survived by her children, Steve (Jean) Wardrip of Baxter, Minn., Jacque (Al) Brandau of Floyd, Iowa; grandchildren, Adam (Candice) Wardrip of Shoreview, Minn., Wendy (Dan) Waters of Plymouth, Iowa, Bridget (Eric) Arthur of Mason City, Iowa; twin great-granddaughters, Emme and Evah Wardrip; and great-grandchildren, Coleman and Kenzie Waters.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Wardrip in 1981.