Obituary of Betty Jean Yoder

Betty (Durham) Yoder passed away Thursday evening, April 16, 2020. She was born in Hooker, Oklahoma on September 24, 1924 to Lacy and Ruth Durham. She was the first born of four children.The family lived in Baca County in Colorado around the Campo area. When she was growing up on the family farm she milked cows and baked bread. She graduated from high school at age 16, and at this time her family moved to a farm in Lincoln County, Colorado.Betty attended college in Goodwell, Oklahoma where she was involved in the choir and received vocalist training. She became an accomplished singer and often would sing for her friend's weddings.At the onset of World War II there was a shortage of teachers so she left college to return to her family, and teach on an emergency teacher's certificate at Cocklebur School. Betty later attended the University of Northern Colorado and earned her teacher certification and bachelor's degree.After college graduation Betty took a teaching position in Turon, Kansas where she met her future husband, John Arnold "Jay" Yoder. They married in August of 1948 and were married sixty-three years until Jay's passing in 2011. Betty continued teaching in Turon until they moved to Wichita where she worked as a youth director for a Methodist church.While she was in Wichita her mother became afflicted with cancer. Betty and her husband returned home to Colorado to care for her mother. After her mother passed in 1951 she began teaching again at Forder School.In 1955 Betty and her husband bought a farm in El Paso County, Colorado south of Yoder. Betty was active in her community in many ways. She helped students apply for scholarships, helped the churches she attended, played the organ for school graduations, sang for special occasions such as weddings and funerals, was president of her Delta Kappa Gamma chapter, and helped with putting on school and volunteer fire department plays. Betty was known for being hospitable, being a good cook, and baking delicious bread.The community service Betty was probably best known for was teaching. During her life she taught school for over three decades. Along with being a school teacher, she also provided many people in her community piano, organ, and voice lessons. In 1985 she was honored as the Colorado Rural Teacher of the Year. Betty taught multiple generations of some families that live in the eastern El Paso County/Lincoln County area to include students who attended Edison School, Miami-Yoder School, Forder School and Cocklebur School. She would frequently come across former students and they would recount good memories of their time as her student and express appreciation to Betty for being a good teacher to them. Some of these former students were people she taught in the 1940's. Some of her former students indicated they were inspired to be teachers because of Betty's efforts. She was appreciated, loved, and admired both as a public school teacher and private music teacher.Betty loved music. She taught herself how to play the piano. She loved to encourage children and help them do the best they could. She was an excellent homemaker.Betty is survived by her sons, Scott Yoder and Wade Yoder; daughter-in-law, Cynthia Yoder; and her grandchildren, Josie and Joshua Yoder all of Yoder, Colorado. Private Interment, Antioch Cemetery, on the corner of South Yoder Road and Antioch Road, Yoder, Colorado 80864.A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Events Final Resting Place Antioch Cemetery Corner of Antioch Road and South Yoder Road Yoder, CO 80864