Betty Taft

Betty Taft, 84, Jamestown, North Dakota, went to be with the Lord Saturday, January 20, 2007 at Gilbert Hospital in Gilbert, Arizona, while she was spending the winter in Mesa.

Betty Paine was born February 9, 1922 in Enderlin, ND, the daughter of John and Glenn Ruth Paine. She grew up in Gladstone, MI, graduating from high school there. She married W.A. (Bill) Taft on November 27, 1947. Because he was with the railroad they lived in several communities in Wisconsin and North Dakota as Betty was a homemaker. They moved to Jamestown in 1960 when Bill became president of the Midland Continental Railroad. He was later mayor of Jamestown and in 1968 formed Business Consultants, Inc. where he and Betty worked together for several years. Betty later worked in the office of Dr. Wayne McDaniel, DDS, for 12 years before she retired.

Betty was active in the Nazarene Church and worked with hospice. She enjoyed her life and lived it to the fullest. She was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in 1993 and given 13 months to live. Those 13 months turned into 13 tremendous years. Her 15 minutes of fame came last spring when she went sky diving at age 84 with her friends, Bill and Sue Parries, and was planning to do it again at 85. Her faith in God, her love for her family and friends, the Green Bay Packers, and her zest for life were her trademarks.

Betty is survived by two children, Joanne (Larry) Strom, Sandpoint, ID and Steve (Bernita) Taft, Bellevue, WA; 5 granddaughters; 19 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren; three sisters, Katherine Paine, Gladstone, MI, Janet Paine, Green Bay, WI and Mary Ann (Ted) Seely, Sunset Beach, SC and many close friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, an infant son and her brother.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, January 27, 2007 at the First Church of the Nazarene, Jamestown with Rev. Richard Reynolds. The family will be receiving friends at the Eddy Funeral Home, Jamestown, on Friday, January 26, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial preferred to Gideons International, PO Box 1573, Jamestown, ND 58402 or Village Family Services in Fargo, 1201 25th St. South, Fargo, ND 58103.

On line guestbook at www.eddyfuneralhome.com