Obituaries

Betty Jo Hartsell Leipold

Photo of Betty Jo Hartsell Leipold
Betty Jo (Hartsell) Leipold, 89, of Hot Springs Village passed away on Nov. 20, 2014 following a short illness. Betty Jo was born in Little Rock, Ark. on Oct. 10, 1925 to Homer and Jamie (Van Reese) Hartsell. She attended Central High School. Upon graduation from high school, she enrolled at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. 1947 marked the beginning of a lifelong love affair with travel, both domestic and international, when she started her career as a flight attendant with American Airlines in of all places, New York City. On June 11, 1949 Betty Jo was united in marriage to Werner "Lefty" Leipold in Memphis, Tenn. … a marriage that was to last for 65 years. Their two sons, Lance and Craig, were born while they lived in Memphis. For the next 20 years while the two sons were growing up, she remained home as a homemaker. Upon their entering college, Betty Jo returned to the travel business on various assignments, promoting travel for American Airlines and then, in more recent years, working for several travel agencies as a tour director. She was proud of the fact that "a little girl from Little Rock" had visited seven of the 10 wonders of the world. Betty Jo was a proud member of the Kiwi Club-an international organization of current and retired American Airlines flight attendants. She held the office of president of five local chapters in five different cities throughout the years of her membership. She also served as president of the American Women's Club while living in Germany with her husband in the 1970s. Upon their retirement, Betty Jo and her husband returned to Arkansas and came to Hot Springs Village in June of 1987. She has been active in her PEO chapter and the Symphony Guild, wherein she held committee chairmanships in each organization. Betty Jo is survived by her husband, Werner; her son, Lance and his wife Donna; granddaughters, Laura and Shannon of Dallas, and her son, Craig and his wife Helen of Racine, Wis. and grandsons, Chris of St. Paul, Minn.; Kyle and Melissa of Milwaukee, Wis.; and Connor, Sam and Bradford all of Racine, Wis. and grandchildren, Cora and Iva. A Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at Christ of the Hills Methodist Church in Hot Springs Village. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Betty Jo's honor to Teen Challenge or to the local Boys & Girls Club. Arrangements have been entrusted to CedarVale Funeral Home. For online condolences/guestbook please go to www.cedarvalefuhneralhome.com.

Published November 23, 2014

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