Betty Irene Arnt

BETTY IRENE ARNT, 90, passed away peacefully in the presence of her family on March 7, 2024
at Pine Ridge Nursing Home in Stevensville.

Betty was born July 12, 1933 in Wisconsin Dells to Viola and Alfred Spaude. Betty lived her first
few years in the Dells and later the family moved to Galena, IL where they resided until they
moved to Watervliet, MI shortly before her high school senior year. They lived in a small house on
Napier just west of M-140. Betty graduated from Watervliet High School and met her husband,
Clifford Arnt while working at Pelton’s Corners, a store and ice cream shop on the corner of M-140
and Napier. Betty and Clifford were married on July 28, 1951 and resided on Black Lake Rd., Eau
Claire, MI.

Betty spent her early married years as a homemaker and helped Clifford on the farm raising dairy
cows. She taught her daughters how to cook, bake, can, crochet and sew. She spent countless
hours tending to her many flower gardens and of course, the big vegetable garden that helped
feed the family of six. Later, her employment outside of the home began with a moving company
and Trade Lines. Betty then worked many years as a secretary at the Berrien County Intermediate
School District Office retiring on June 8, 1999.

Betty was a vivacious lady who loved to have fun, dance, laugh and live life to the fullest! She had
many passions which included nature, birds, gardening and house plants but her two greatest
passions were children and traveling. Betty loved to keep busy and that she did. She traveled to
many places within the United States as well as Hawaii, Alaska, Spain, Egypt and France to name
a few; she went down the Nile and climbed pyramids. Her favorite country was Spain where she
fell in love with the Alhambra Palace in Granada.

Betty loved the little children; she was a devoted grandmother, always there to lend a helping hand
and take her grandchildren on fun outings. She was known to her grandchildren as “Betsy” and
they loved her immensely! Betty spent countless hours and many years volunteering at the Eau
Claire Lybrook Elementary where she was so fondly known as Grandma Betsy to the children.
She so enjoyed working with the children and also volunteered at a reading program for young
children in the Benton Harbor area. Betty also thoroughly enjoyed her volunteer work at the Sarett
Nature Center and went on many trips with them. She was an avid reader and often could be
found reading books to her grandchildren.

Betty’s faith in God and her church were at the forefront of her life. She was a lifelong member of
Chapel Hill United Methodist Church where she taught the young children’s Sunday school class,
helped with Vacation Bible School, served on committees and sang in the church choir. She loved
taking her grandchildren to Sunday school and church with her, it did her heart good.
Betty is survived by her long time best friend, Bonnie Cuthbert; son, Greg (Judi) Arnt; her
daughters, Janet (Bob) Brown and Deborah (Jim) Peters. Also, nine grandchildren Christopher
(Tricia) Arnt, Courtney Arnt, Zachary (Anne) Teachout, Alexandra Teachout (Egil Lundal), Jeremy
Hunter, Rusty Hunter, Bridgette (Len) Renbarger, Adrienne (Adam) Niles and Jason (Gina) Ott and
sixteen great grandchildren Maverick and Gavin Arnt; Chance Teachout; Kaemin, Jamison, and Jaedyn
Hunter; Kobe, Anna, Madee and Holden Hunter; Ryne and Rigley Renbarger; Samantha and
Maverick Niles; Tatum and Beckham Ott.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford Arnt; daughter, Cheryl Arnt; daughter-in-law,
Tammy Arnt; her mother and father, two brothers and one sister.

A celebration of Betty’s life will be held on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Chapel Hill United Methodist
Church in Sodus, MI. Visitation is at 10:00 a.m., service at 11:00 a.m. with a luncheon to follow. In
lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Bowerman Funeral Home in Eau Claire.  www.BowermanFuneral.com