Betsy Ann Zerrien's Obituary
Betsy Ann Cooper Zerrien, 86, of Savanna, Illinois, formerly of Clinton, Iowa, died Saturday, October 31, 2020 at Big Meadows Nursing Home, Savanna. The Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Home & Crematory assisted the family with arrangements. Burial will be in the Clinton Lawn Cemetery. There will be no services.
Online condolences may be expressed by visiting www.snellzornig.com.
Betsy Ann Cooper was born on January 13, 1934, in Clinton, Iowa, the daughter of Walter and Mildred (Beil) Cooper, Jr. She graduated from Clinton High School in 1952 and Mt. St. Clare College in 1954. She began teaching third grade in New Hartford, Iowa and also taught in Shell Rock, Waterloo, Wheatland and Ft Dodge, all in Iowa. She later was the Account Clerk for the Clinton County Secondary Road Department, a position she held from 1976 until her retirement in 1996. Upon retirement in 1996 she moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where she served in many ways in her church, Scottsdale United Methodist. She returned to Clinton in 2011.
While living in Clinton, Betsy was very active in many organizations, such as Wa-Tan-Ye, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Clinton Community Concert Association, Clinton Ecumenical Housing Board and Clinton Housing Authority Board. She was one of the founding members of the Clinton Ecumenical Housing Board, which was instrumental in the building of Park Towers Apartments. She also served on many committees at her church, First United Methodist. She enjoyed knitting prayer shawls, doing crossword puzzles and eating out.
Betsy Cooper married Donald Zerrien in 1955 in Clinton but later divorced in 1982.
Betsy is survived by two children, Lynn Zerrien Ugartemendia of Florida and Michael (Sharon) Zerrien of Indiana; grandsons, George and Zachary Ugartemendia both of Florida; her brother, Edward Cooper; niece, Deb (Bill) Taplin, great-nephews, Jeff and Jason Taplin and great nieces, Angela Cooper and Jessica (Brian) Melvin.
Betsy was preceded in death by her parents, maternal grandparents, RH and Hansine Beil, paternal grandparents, Walter and Ida Cooper, sister-in-law, Shirley Cooper and nephew, Steve (Julie) Cooper.
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