Obituary of Betty Mae Nicholson Phillips

Betty Mae Nicholson Phillips was born in Norfork, Nebraska on November 13, 1922, the youngest child of Charles and Hallie Jones Nicholson. The family, including older brother Don and middle sister Florence, lived close by Norfork in Madison, Nebraska until Betty was five when her mother packed up the kids and moved to Omaha. Family life was rather rocky for Betty as they moved often throughout the Omaha area and for a while she was even in an orphanage. Changes in schools were frequent and we figure it was her introduction to and beginning practice at finding and making friends wherever she went. Her teen years were filled with rollerskating and Woodman Circle (her mom worked for Woodman of the World) and, of course, school when she could fit it in. All gave great opportunities for socializing and skating provided the venue for meeting her future husband Duane.

With World War II imminent, they put off making any serious commitment. During the war Duane served in the Army with the Rangers and Betty worked as a clerk at the Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha. Duane was granted a furlough in early 1945 from deployment to Europe. The war there was in its final stages. In less than two weeks Betty arranged their wedding including selecting gowns for herself and her attendants, ordering flowers and pictures, and arranging the minister and church. She knew how to get things done.

Betty and Duane lived for a short while in north Omaha with his mother. During that time, Susan was born. They then bought what had been a summer, lake cottage in Carter Lake, Iowa. Despite fire and flood, and to some extent because of them, the cottage was slowly remodeled and enlarged and the family too was enlarged with the birth of Bruce.

Her child rearing years were filled with Girl Scouts, PTA (over the years holding every office as well as being room mother), Pearl Memorial United Methodist church programs and youth groups, square dancing, bowling, and canoeing with any and all. Since she was afraid of the water and couldn't swim, her canoeing years demonstrate her ability to trust others – in this instance her husband, Duane. All in keeping with her “keep moving” approach to life. As her kids headed into high school and junior high, she decided to go back to work with what started out as a part time sales job at JC Penney for the Christmas season. That stint was the beginning of an unexpected journey toward becoming Director of Personnel for the main, downtown JC Penney store in Omaha, Nebraska and the beginning of her passion for shopping at Penneys to play the game of “saving more than you spend.”

When the downtown store closed, she took some other assignments with JC Penney until her retirement. At that point she and Duane took up snowbirding and she ultimately had 42 years of migrations under her belt. Snowbirding was by no means the extent of her travel during this time. Other adventures included two masted schooner sailing on the east coast to inland passage cruises up to Alaska to camping in Mexico and most places in between as well as weeklong canoe trips in the boundary waters and a couple of weeks in Wales. Rarely did they travel alone but with family – especially sister Floss and her husband Russ - and friends forming a merry band along the way.

In 1969 her family expanded again when Susan married David and again in 1973 when they had twin sons, Drew and Josh. Shortly before that, Bruce moved to Tucson where he met and eventually married Debi in 1976 for a further expansion. That gave Betty and Duane the impetus to begin their annual pilgrimages to the desert southwest and allowed Betty to further develop skills shopping at Penneys.

In the early 70's Betty and Duane bought a cabin on the Elkhorn River not far from Omaha. Soon it became their summer home and was filled with family – kids, grand kids, siblings, and cousins – as well as great friends and kids from neighborhood programs at Pearl church. Duane did the inviting, the crafts, and playing. Betty did the hospitality, cooking, and game playing. The cabin also became some of the glue that held together more expansion of their family with 'good kids' who came as friends of her children, church workers, and people who just enjoyed the community they created. The more the merrier for Penneys shopping.

We don't know when she began playing cards and games. Perhaps only her mother Hallie, the queen of canasta, and sister Floss would know for certain, but it has been a constant theme throughout her journey – playing with neighbors in Carter Lake, with her children Susan and Bruce in their childhood, with her grandsons Josh and Drew , with Carousel Ranch friends, and ultimately with her great grandsons Miles and Truman as well. Though she claimed to only play the cards she was given, her focused approach and her skill have earned her a reputation with all whom she has played as having remarkable luck!

1995 brought not only Betty and Duane's 50th wedding anniversary, but also the wedding of grandson Drew to Elisa for the next expansion of the family. Then in 2000, grandson Josh expanded it further by marrying Lara. And Drew and Elisa further contributed to the expansion with great grandsons --Miles in 2010 and Truman in 2012. More shopping at JC Penney.

In 2003 Betty's companion, friend, and driver Duane died. With others pitching in on the transportation, she was able to continue most of the lifestyle to which she had become accustomed. Summers in the north plains; winters in the desert.

And unexpectedly, at a pizza mixer between Carousel Ranch and Comanche Wells senior living parks a few years later, Bickley van Duyne entered her life and with him more travel (especially to upstate New York which was his home), more card playing, much laughter, and a whole new family to love and embrace with birthday and holiday cards and, of course, more shopping at JC Penney.

These later years following the death of her great “autumn time” companion, friend, and driver, Bick in 2013, have taken further adjustment but she was still snowbirding, still playing cards, still beating her kids, grand kids, and great grand kids at that endeavor, still laughing, and still making new friends at Urban Abbey, her Omaha church, St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Tucson and the ever changing Carousel Ranch, senior living community—her Tucson home for over 37 years – and where she still lived until two weeks prior to her death on February 27, 2024 at the age of 101.3.

The last few years and especially during the time of COVID she was gifted by the return of her sister Floss to Tucson. There was great joy in the time they were able to spend together caring, cooking, carping (they were sisters after all), and, of course, playing games.

When she turned 100 on November 13, 2022 there was a great gathering to celebrate in Tucson – followed by another grand event in Omaha to commemorate 100.5. And several other festivities were thrown in throughout the year.

A memorial service was held in March at St. Mark’s United Methodist in the Garden – the same location as her sister’s. And another memorial service will take place Saturday, May 11 at 3:00pm at Urban Abbey United Methodist in Omaha – followed by a picnic at David and Vicky Porter’s yard.

Memorials may be directed to the Omaha Living Hope Food Pantry (Betty & Duane helped start this pantry in the late 1960’s), Urban Abbey UMC in Omaha, Interfaith Community Service of Tucson, or St. Mark’s UMC in Tucson.

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