Betty Ruth Berry Koeninger

BETTY RUTH BERRY KOENINGER was born May 13, 1926 in Vernon, Texas, to William T. Berry and Mattie Carney Berry. Her family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, when she was three years old. Betty attended Fort Worth Public Schools and also studied piano at the Fort Worth Conservatory of Music. Coming from a long line of educated women (both of her grandmothers and her mother were college graduates), Betty received a B.A. in Bacteriology from Texas State College for Women (now Texas Women's University) in 1945. After graduation, she was on the staff of the Penicillin Assay Division at the United States Food and Drug Administration in Washington. D.C. She later worked for the Texas State Health Department's Biologic Production Division in Austin and took graduate courses in bacteriology at the University of Texas. In 1946, Betty married Charles E. Koeninger, a World War II veteran and student at the University of Texas at Austin. After her husband graduated from UT and became a pilot in the United States Air Force, Betty and her growing family lived in many locations, including Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, Ohio, Alaska, and France. When her husband became base commander of Little Rock Air Force Base, Betty assumed the challenging duties expected of the base commander's spouse. The couple retired in Jacksonville, Ark., and after Colonel Koeninger's death, Betty moved to North Little Rock. Throughout her busy life as an Air Force spouse and mother of four children, Betty remained active in Officer's Wives Club leadership positions, music performance through Air Force and church choral groups, and the Episcopal Church. A long-time member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in North Little Rock, she served as Vice President of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Arkansas and delegate to the Episcopal National Convention. She also served as President of the Board of St. Francis House in Little Rock and was Chair of the St. Luke's Altar Guild for over 20 years. Betty and Charlie entertained frequently and Betty was known for her fine cooking and hospitality. Betty is survived by her children Kay Koeninger of Yellow Springs, Ohio, Allan Koeninger of Aldie, Va., Annie Chavez of Denver, Colo., and Jean Koeninger of Little Rock. She is also survived by five grandchildren, five great- grandchildren, two nieces and one nephew. Memorials in Betty's name are welcome at St. Francis House, P.O Box 4490, Little Rock Ark., 72214 and St. Luke's Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, 4106 JFK Boulevard, North Little Rock Ark., 72116. Visitation and services will be on Friday, February 7, 2020, 10 a.m., at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in North Little Rock. Online Guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/owens.