Obituary for Elizabeth "Bette" Shaw
Elizabeth Shaw, 88, of Lakewood, Colorado, formerly of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at her home. Funeral services will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, July 8, 2022, at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. Rev. Garret Kasper will officiate. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery in Merrill, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday.
Elizabeth “Bette” Shaw was born on March 22, 1934, to Blanche and Arthur Kramer. She grew up with her two siblings, Sue and Eugene farming in Iowa. Mostly she attended Le Mars High School, except for a very brief attendance at Hinton High School, where she met the love of her life, Donald Shaw. They were married in March of 1954 in the middle of a blizzard in South Dakota because Donald had a very short leave from the Army that didn’t leave time to marry in Iowa. Wayne and Donita stood as witnesses but, unfortunately, no one else was able to get to the wedding. After their wedding, Bette and Donald traveled the world together, living in Japan, New Jersey, Italy, Colorado, and Colombia.
After years in Italy, Bette and Donald travelled to Colorado with their family where they lived for some years before Donald was assigned to Colombia. Bette absolutely loved Colombia, but the political turmoil required that the family move. The Vietnam war forced them to part for a time. Bette returned to Iowa with her two young children, Michael and Kelly, where they lived close to family and Bette attended business school to earn a secretarial certificate. The family moved to Germany where they lived the longest, six years, before returning to the US. After retiring from the army,
Bette and Donald returned to Iowa together, but tragedy struck when Donald was diagnosed with cancer and they were parted once more. Bette then moved to Colorado for a time to be near her children, Michael and Kelly, and her 6 grandchildren, David, Cherise, Chelsea, Catherine, Colleen, and Dylan. Returning once more to Iowa, she reunited with high school friends, Donita and Dale. Bette enjoyed three decades of life there, attending plays, shopping, watching golf, and enjoying visits from her children and grandchildren. Diminishing vision and health led Bette to return once more to Colorado where she could be closer to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Bette spent the final years of her life in Lakewood Colorado.
She passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 24th, 2022 at 88 years of age and leaves behind her sister: Sue LaBahn, her two loving children: Kelly Carr and Michael Shaw, 5 grandchildren: David Shaw, Cherise Robart, Chelsea Carr, Colleen Carr Wason, and Dylan Carr, and 8 great grand children: Dawson Robart, Caidence Robart, Corbin Shaw, Carmia Robart, Eliana Wason, Alma Shaw, Elias Wason, and Noelle Carr.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Blanche Kramer, brother Eugene Kramer, husband Donald Shaw, granddaughter Catherine Shaw, and great granddaughter Alexis Wason.
Elizabeth “Bette” Shaw was born on March 22, 1934, to Blanche and Arthur Kramer. She grew up with her two siblings, Sue and Eugene farming in Iowa. Mostly she attended Le Mars High School, except for a very brief attendance at Hinton High School, where she met the love of her life, Donald Shaw. They were married in March of 1954 in the middle of a blizzard in South Dakota because Donald had a very short leave from the Army that didn’t leave time to marry in Iowa. Wayne and Donita stood as witnesses but, unfortunately, no one else was able to get to the wedding. After their wedding, Bette and Donald traveled the world together, living in Japan, New Jersey, Italy, Colorado, and Colombia.
After years in Italy, Bette and Donald travelled to Colorado with their family where they lived for some years before Donald was assigned to Colombia. Bette absolutely loved Colombia, but the political turmoil required that the family move. The Vietnam war forced them to part for a time. Bette returned to Iowa with her two young children, Michael and Kelly, where they lived close to family and Bette attended business school to earn a secretarial certificate. The family moved to Germany where they lived the longest, six years, before returning to the US. After retiring from the army,
Bette and Donald returned to Iowa together, but tragedy struck when Donald was diagnosed with cancer and they were parted once more. Bette then moved to Colorado for a time to be near her children, Michael and Kelly, and her 6 grandchildren, David, Cherise, Chelsea, Catherine, Colleen, and Dylan. Returning once more to Iowa, she reunited with high school friends, Donita and Dale. Bette enjoyed three decades of life there, attending plays, shopping, watching golf, and enjoying visits from her children and grandchildren. Diminishing vision and health led Bette to return once more to Colorado where she could be closer to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Bette spent the final years of her life in Lakewood Colorado.
She passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 24th, 2022 at 88 years of age and leaves behind her sister: Sue LaBahn, her two loving children: Kelly Carr and Michael Shaw, 5 grandchildren: David Shaw, Cherise Robart, Chelsea Carr, Colleen Carr Wason, and Dylan Carr, and 8 great grand children: Dawson Robart, Caidence Robart, Corbin Shaw, Carmia Robart, Eliana Wason, Alma Shaw, Elias Wason, and Noelle Carr.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Blanche Kramer, brother Eugene Kramer, husband Donald Shaw, granddaughter Catherine Shaw, and great granddaughter Alexis Wason.