BETTY GEAN HIGGINS “RHINE” BURLESON
May 7, 1930 ˜ January 31, 2021
A heart of GOLD stopped beating Jan. 31, 2021.
Betty was born on May 7, 1930, in Asheville, NC, to Harmon Higgins Sr. and Jessie Mae Owen Higgins. Betty moved to Portland, OR, around 1950.
In 1953, she met and married Airman Dewie L. Rhine, who was stationed at the Portland Air Force base. Betty and Dewie were married for 45 years until Dewie’s passing in 1998.
Her family was her life. She loved to cook, there was never a reason to go hungry in her home.
Betty is survived by four children, Lloyd (Brenda), Nick (Tonia), Lillian (Glenn) and Roy (Lisa), all of Vancouver, WA; 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and many nieces and nephews.
After a few years widowed, Betty met Lester Burleson at church and they were married nearly eight happy years. She is also survived by stepdaughter, Loretta (John) Knechtges of Vancouver and stepson, Donald (Amanda) Burleson of Louisiana.
Betty had many close friends. She was especially close to Marti Whittaker (Frank), Joanne Anderson (Marty), and Margaret Jeaudoin.
Betty had a genuine love of people. She was extremely proud of her family and worked hard to provide for them. She worked most of her life, starting at age 9 at Quality Bakery in Asheville, NC.
Throughout the years, she worked at various places including Nabisco, Crown Zellerbach in Portland and finally retiring from Hewlett Packard in Vancouver. Betty had a very strong work ethic and at times held two jobs. She had a very full and rich life. Although she endured many trials, she never lost faith in Jesus Christ. Betty was a longtime member of Crosspointe Baptist Church of Vancouver.
Betty was predeceased by her husband, Dewie; second husband, Lester E. Burleson; mother and stepfather, Jessie and Emeal Stutts; father, Harmon M. Higgins Sr.; brother, Harmon M. Higgins Jr. and his wife, Donna; and sister, Lillian Thibedeau.
Dewie’s cremains will be laid to rest with Betty, together at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver. There will be a public viewing from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, and private service Monday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. at Evergreen Memorial Gardens. The service will be live streamed and can be accessed at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/10276520. There is no charge to view the service.
Please share a memory @ www.columbian.com/obits
To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Published in The Columbian on Feb. 5, 2021.
BETTY GEAN HIGGINS “RHINE” BURLESON
May 7, 1930 ˜ January 31, 2021
A heart of GOLD stopped beating Jan. 31, 2021.
Betty was born on May 7, 1930, in Asheville, NC, to Harmon Higgins Sr. and Jessie Mae Owen Higgins. Betty moved to Portland, OR, around 1950.
In 1953, she met and married Airman Dewie L. Rhine, who was stationed at the Portland Air Force base. Betty and Dewie were married for 45 years until Dewie’s passing in 1998.
Her family was her life. She loved to cook, there was never a reason to go hungry in her home.
Betty is survived by four children, Lloyd (Brenda), Nick (Tonia), Lillian (Glenn) and Roy (Lisa), all of Vancouver, WA; 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and many nieces and nephews.
After a few years widowed, Betty met Lester Burleson at church and they were married nearly eight happy years. She is also survived by stepdaughter, Loretta (John) Knechtges of Vancouver and stepson, Donald (Amanda) Burleson of Louisiana.
Betty had many close friends. She was especially close to Marti Whittaker (Frank), Joanne Anderson (Marty), and Margaret Jeaudoin.
Betty had a genuine love of people. She was extremely proud of her family and worked hard to provide for them. She worked most of her life, starting at age 9 at Quality Bakery in Asheville, NC.
Throughout the years, she worked at various places including Nabisco, Crown Zellerbach in Portland and finally retiring from Hewlett Packard in Vancouver. Betty had a very strong work ethic and at times held two jobs. She had a very full and rich life. Although she endured many trials, she never lost faith in Jesus Christ. Betty was a longtime member of Crosspointe Baptist Church of Vancouver.
Betty was predeceased by her husband, Dewie; second husband, Lester E. Burleson; mother and stepfather, Jessie and Emeal Stutts; father, Harmon M. Higgins Sr.; brother, Harmon M. Higgins Jr. and his wife, Donna; and sister, Lillian Thibedeau.
Dewie’s cremains will be laid to rest with Betty, together at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver. There will be a public viewing from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, and private service Monday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. at Evergreen Memorial Gardens. The service will be live streamed and can be accessed at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/10276520. There is no charge to view the service.
Please share a memory @ www.columbian.com/obits
To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Published in The Columbian on Feb. 5, 2021.
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