Betty Mathiot

Betty J. Mathiot, 92, died on May 5, 2018 in Cheyenne. Betty was born on July 25, 1925 in Laramie, Wyoming to Jay and Nannie Obenour. Betty was an only child. She did have a nice little Fox Terrier named Tippy to play with. She spent a lot of time with her Grandma and Grandfather Scogerson. Betty was proud of their Swedish heritage and what hard workers they were. Betty loved to go for drives with her parents to Elitch Gardens in Denver. It was her favorite destination. She liked to go with her daddy to the rail yard and help get his caboose ready for the next trip. Betty enjoyed roller skating and ice skating with her friends. She also liked going to the gatherings at the newly established Dance Hall at Woodslanding, south of Laramie. That is where she met her hero and the love of her life, Virgil Mathiot. Against her family's wishes, Betty and Virgil were married on September 14, 1940 in Kimball, Nebraska. Their marriage lasted 73 years until Virgil's death in 2013. They had $20 of seed money to start their life. They moved to Pine Buffs, Wyoming where their first child, Janet Faye, was born. Betty and Virgil later moved to a farm in Cheyenne and had two more children, Richard Lee and Carol Ann. Betty was a city girl who adapted well to the domestic side of farm life. She baked a cake every day and became a good cook. She could pluck a chicken but she never could kill one. She even rode a horse once but said it scared her to death. They later moved to town and she worked as a cashier at Woolworth's and Grand Central. She enjoyed bowling and playing cards with their friends. Betty and Virgil loved to go camping with friends and family. She truly loved all of nature's beauty and didn't miss a thing she could see from her side of the glass. Her eyesight was keen and she happily shared her vision with anyone who would look and listen. After retirement Betty and Virgil spent many winters at Boulder City, Nevada where they enjoyed Lake Mead and gambling in nearby casinos. They always set a limit on gambling and never lost their seed money. As she grew older, her joy came from the things she saw from her little window. The birds, the bunnies, the fruit blossoms, the shimmering aspen leaves and of course the sunsets. Betty did miss most of the sunrises. She loved to read and clip out newspaper articles of note. Betty totally devoted her life to Virgil and their family. She played a big role in raising their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was thrilled with her great- great granddaughter, making five living generations of her line. Holidays or any day at Grandma Betty's house were hard to beat. One of her favorite hobbies was making people eat after they said they weren't hungry. Betty always had a caring touch and a band aid even for the smallest of scrapes, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup was a cure for whatever ailed you. Betty had lots of old school remedies and some even worked including a piece of paper sack on the roof of your mouth to stop a bloody nose. Her words were always kind and never sharp or cutting. She did have a butter paddle she used to keep the grandkids in line with, but she never used it, always just bluffing. Betty's family will remember her as the most generous, gentle and loving person ever. Betty is survived by her daughters, Janet (Hank) Burkhalter of Conifer, CO and Carol Mathiot of Cheyenne; grandsons, Kenny (Jody) Clark and Rodney Clark, both of Cheyenne, and David Clark of Conifer, CO; great-grandchildren, France (Haley) Clark of Big Piney, WY, Christina (Mark) Williamson and Jayden (Jack) Clark-Burton, both of Cheyenne, and Cannon and Caleb Clark of Conifer, CO; and great-great granddaughter, Cora Williamson of Cheyenne, WY. She is preceded in death by the love of her life Virgil; her son, Richard; and her parents. The family will gather for a private remembrance at a later date. Cremation is under the care of Schrader, Aragon and Jacoby Funeral Home.