April 7, 1959 –  June 28, 2023

Betty Jeanne Schoolmeester was born to Richard and Janice (Bucher) Stimson on April 7, 1959, in Orange, California. During her youth, the family moved to Pipestone, Minnesota, where she went to school and graduated from Pipestone High School in 1977. She was confirmed in faith at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. During her high school years, Betty worked at the local Dari King, where she met the love of her life, Don Schoolmeester, in July of 1975. They were united in marriage on July 22, 1978, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church.  Betty attended Rochester Vocational School from 1977-1978 to study early childhood development. She later transferred to Southwest State University, graduating in May of 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Betty and Don both took jobs in Kingman, Arizona, leading to their move out west in August of 1986, where Betty began her teaching career at La Senita Elementary School. She taught first grade there for one year, before transferring to Manzanita Elementary School, where she continued to teach first grade for the last 36 years, before retiring in May 2023.

Betty was a very creative and artistic person. She loved painting ceramics as a young adult, and enjoyed making greeting cards, as well. As a teacher, she was always drawing or making something for her classroom or creating her own songs to help students learn, and remember, phonics rules. She had a kind and selfless heart, and was always there for her friends, children, and grandchildren, whenever they needed her.

Betty enjoyed spending time at the lake house with her family, boating on Lake Mead nearly every weekend for the first ten years that they owned their boat. In addition to boating, they later bought a camper for weekends spent camping in Williams, Arizona.

Her favorite things in life were spending time with her family and traveling. Every summer, her and Don would load up their kids in their family vehicle and drive home to Minnesota to spend their summers. There was always something new to see and experience while on those road trips. In more recent years, the traveling continued, but new destinations such as California (she loved the beach!), Mexico, Yellowstone National Park, and Colorado, were added. Her last adventure, just months before she passed away, was going on a Disney cruise with her daughter and her children.

On April 12, 2023, Betty was diagnosed with cancer, and on May 1, 2023, she was seen by an oncologist who told her it was stage 4. After numerous attempts to start treatment, her body began to give up on her. She was admitted to Kingman Regional Medical Center on June 18, 2023, where doctors confirmed it had most likely spread to her lumbar spine, causing her inability to walk. It was during that time when Betty decided she wanted to spend her last days at home. On June 22, 2023, she was released to go home under hospice care, where she was cared for by her daughter and close friends.

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, Betty passed away in her home, surrounded by family and close friends. She was 64 years old.

She is lovingly remembered by her children, Heidi, and her husband Chad Baitinger of Kingman, Arizona, Nathan, and his wife Errica Schoolmeester of Kingman, Arizona; 6 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild. She is also remembered by many nieces and nephews. 

She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald Schoolmeester, her mother, Janice Frey, her stepfather, James Frey, her sister, Nancy Haraldson, and her brothers, Richard and David Stimson.

Services will be held at the Kingman High School auditorium at 4182 N. Bank Street, on August 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.