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Betty Jean “BJ” <I>Van Droodge</I> Hetzel

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Betty Jean “BJ” Van Droodge Hetzel

Birth
Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois, USA
Death
21 May 2015 (aged 84)
Austin, Travis County, Texas, USA
Burial
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Betty Jean "BJ" HETZEL 84 OF BASTROP, TEXAS WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 21, 2015. BETY WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 11, 1931 TO PHILIP AND RUTH VAN DROGGLE IN MOLINE, ILLINOIS. THE VAN DROOGLE FAMILY MOVED TO SMITHVILE, TEXAS WHEN BETTY WAS A YOUNG GIRL. IN 1942 HER FAMILY MOVED TO ALAMO, TEXAS. BETTY JERRY LEE GEERY IN ALAMO, TEXAS IN NOVEMBER OF 1949. THEY HAD FOUR BOYS:WADE, PAT, JIM, AND MIKE. MIKE WAS ONLY 18 DAYS OLD WHEN JERRY LEE LOST HIS LIFE IN A TRAGIC TRAIN ACCIDENT. NOW A SINGLE MOTHER OF FOUR BOYS UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE, BETTY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. WHILE WORKING PART-TIME AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR AND FULL TIME AS A MOTHER, SHE EARNED HER COLLEGE DEGREE IN JUST THREE YEARS. SHE GRADUATED WITH HONORS, RECEIVING A DEGREE IN EDUCATION FROM PAN AM UNIVERSITY.
BETTY TAUGHT ENGLISH IN THE PHARR, SAN JUAN, ALAMO SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM 1959 TO 1961. SHE MOVED THE BOYS TO AUSTIN, TEXAS IN 1961 AND TAUGHT IN THE AUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT UNTIL HER RETIREMENT IN 1985. DURING HER EARLY CAREER IN AUSTIN SHE REMARRIED AND MAY BE REMEMBERED AS MRS, BOX. BY SOME OF HER FORMER STUDENTS.
BETTY MET GEORGE "SKEETER" HETZEL AT A PARENTS WITHOUT PARTNERS MEETING AND THEY WERE MARRIED IN MAY OF 1972. . SKEETERBROUGHT FIVE CHILDREN INTO THE MARRIAGE. THEIE WERE TWO MORE BOYS TO LOVE(STEVE AND MARK)AND THE DAUGHTERS SHE ALWAYS WANTED (GEORGIA, KELYE, AND SHELLYE). THEIR NINE CHILDREN RANGED FROM 22-8 YEARS OF AGE.
AFTER RETIREMENT IN 1985, BETTY AND SKEETER MOVED TO BASTROP TO BASTROP TO BUILD THEIR LOG CABIN IN THE WOODS OF TAHITIAN VILLAGE. THE PROJECT GREW INTO A BEAUTIFUL TWO-STORY LOG HOME. THE BOUGHT A CHINOOK MOTOR HOME AND SET OUT TO EXPLORE THE COUNTRY. THEY TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY AND PARTICULARLY ENJOYED THE SIGHTS ALOMG THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, SEDONA, ARIZONA, AND MESA VERDE, COLORADO AS WELL AS YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL NATIONAL PARK.
A SELF-TAUGHT GARDENER, BETTY WAS A MEMBER OF GARDEN CLUBS IN AUSTIN AND BASTROP. SHE LOVED ANTIQUES AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE BASTROP HISTORICAL SOCIETY. OTHER MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDED BASTROP PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION, AND TWO RED HAT SOCIETIES: GOLDEN GIRLS AND BODACIOUS BABES. BETTY WAS ALSO A LOMG STANDING MEMBER OF THE CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH CONGREGATION.
SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE BASTROP COMMUNITY. VOLUNTERING WAS A BIG PART OF BETTY'S LIFE. IN ADDITION TO HER MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATIOS LISTED PREVIOUSLY, SHE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, DROVE CANCER PATIENTS TO APPOINTMENTS WITH THEIR DOCTORS AND DEDICATED TIME AND ENERGY TO THE GARDEN CLUBS. IN DECEMBER OF 2009, AFTER SEVERAL HEALTH ISSUES, BETTY MOVED INTO ARGENT COURT ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN BASTROP. SHE WAS A MUCH LOVED AND VERY ACTIVE RESIDENT. SHE VOLUNTERED HER TIME AND TALENTS WITH THE LANDSCAPING, DECORATING AND SEASONAL EVENTS.
BETTY WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, HER BROTHER, HERBERT VAN DROOGLE AND HUSBANDS JERRY LEE GEERY, AND SKEETER HETZEL.
SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER CHILDREN:WADE GERRY(SUE), PAT GERRY(DONNA), JIM GERRY(DANA), MIKE GERRY(MARY ANN), MARK HETZEL(ANNA), GEORGIA HETZEL FLARSHEIM(BILL, KELLYE HETZEL NEWTON(ED) AND SHELLYE HETZEL-SCHAEFFER. SHE IS SURVIVED BY 21 GRANDCHILDREN, SEVERAL NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND HER BROTHER-IN-LAW PHIL GERRY AND HIS WIFE JAYNE.
A CELEBRATION OF BETTY'S LIFE WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH, AT CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 603 SPRING STREET, BASTROP, TEXAS, 78602.

CAUSE OF DEATH WAS CANCER.
Betty Jean "BJ" HETZEL 84 OF BASTROP, TEXAS WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 21, 2015. BETY WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 11, 1931 TO PHILIP AND RUTH VAN DROGGLE IN MOLINE, ILLINOIS. THE VAN DROOGLE FAMILY MOVED TO SMITHVILE, TEXAS WHEN BETTY WAS A YOUNG GIRL. IN 1942 HER FAMILY MOVED TO ALAMO, TEXAS. BETTY JERRY LEE GEERY IN ALAMO, TEXAS IN NOVEMBER OF 1949. THEY HAD FOUR BOYS:WADE, PAT, JIM, AND MIKE. MIKE WAS ONLY 18 DAYS OLD WHEN JERRY LEE LOST HIS LIFE IN A TRAGIC TRAIN ACCIDENT. NOW A SINGLE MOTHER OF FOUR BOYS UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE, BETTY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. WHILE WORKING PART-TIME AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR AND FULL TIME AS A MOTHER, SHE EARNED HER COLLEGE DEGREE IN JUST THREE YEARS. SHE GRADUATED WITH HONORS, RECEIVING A DEGREE IN EDUCATION FROM PAN AM UNIVERSITY.
BETTY TAUGHT ENGLISH IN THE PHARR, SAN JUAN, ALAMO SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM 1959 TO 1961. SHE MOVED THE BOYS TO AUSTIN, TEXAS IN 1961 AND TAUGHT IN THE AUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT UNTIL HER RETIREMENT IN 1985. DURING HER EARLY CAREER IN AUSTIN SHE REMARRIED AND MAY BE REMEMBERED AS MRS, BOX. BY SOME OF HER FORMER STUDENTS.
BETTY MET GEORGE "SKEETER" HETZEL AT A PARENTS WITHOUT PARTNERS MEETING AND THEY WERE MARRIED IN MAY OF 1972. . SKEETERBROUGHT FIVE CHILDREN INTO THE MARRIAGE. THEIE WERE TWO MORE BOYS TO LOVE(STEVE AND MARK)AND THE DAUGHTERS SHE ALWAYS WANTED (GEORGIA, KELYE, AND SHELLYE). THEIR NINE CHILDREN RANGED FROM 22-8 YEARS OF AGE.
AFTER RETIREMENT IN 1985, BETTY AND SKEETER MOVED TO BASTROP TO BASTROP TO BUILD THEIR LOG CABIN IN THE WOODS OF TAHITIAN VILLAGE. THE PROJECT GREW INTO A BEAUTIFUL TWO-STORY LOG HOME. THE BOUGHT A CHINOOK MOTOR HOME AND SET OUT TO EXPLORE THE COUNTRY. THEY TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY AND PARTICULARLY ENJOYED THE SIGHTS ALOMG THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, SEDONA, ARIZONA, AND MESA VERDE, COLORADO AS WELL AS YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL NATIONAL PARK.
A SELF-TAUGHT GARDENER, BETTY WAS A MEMBER OF GARDEN CLUBS IN AUSTIN AND BASTROP. SHE LOVED ANTIQUES AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE BASTROP HISTORICAL SOCIETY. OTHER MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDED BASTROP PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION, AND TWO RED HAT SOCIETIES: GOLDEN GIRLS AND BODACIOUS BABES. BETTY WAS ALSO A LOMG STANDING MEMBER OF THE CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH CONGREGATION.
SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE BASTROP COMMUNITY. VOLUNTERING WAS A BIG PART OF BETTY'S LIFE. IN ADDITION TO HER MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATIOS LISTED PREVIOUSLY, SHE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, DROVE CANCER PATIENTS TO APPOINTMENTS WITH THEIR DOCTORS AND DEDICATED TIME AND ENERGY TO THE GARDEN CLUBS. IN DECEMBER OF 2009, AFTER SEVERAL HEALTH ISSUES, BETTY MOVED INTO ARGENT COURT ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN BASTROP. SHE WAS A MUCH LOVED AND VERY ACTIVE RESIDENT. SHE VOLUNTERED HER TIME AND TALENTS WITH THE LANDSCAPING, DECORATING AND SEASONAL EVENTS.
BETTY WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, HER BROTHER, HERBERT VAN DROOGLE AND HUSBANDS JERRY LEE GEERY, AND SKEETER HETZEL.
SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER CHILDREN:WADE GERRY(SUE), PAT GERRY(DONNA), JIM GERRY(DANA), MIKE GERRY(MARY ANN), MARK HETZEL(ANNA), GEORGIA HETZEL FLARSHEIM(BILL, KELLYE HETZEL NEWTON(ED) AND SHELLYE HETZEL-SCHAEFFER. SHE IS SURVIVED BY 21 GRANDCHILDREN, SEVERAL NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND HER BROTHER-IN-LAW PHIL GERRY AND HIS WIFE JAYNE.
A CELEBRATION OF BETTY'S LIFE WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH, AT CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 603 SPRING STREET, BASTROP, TEXAS, 78602.

CAUSE OF DEATH WAS CANCER.

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