Betty Jo (Arnold) Estes, 92, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully in her home in Columbus on Jan. 20, 2017.
She was born on July 1, 1924, in Huntington, West Virginia, to Majors William H. and Esther Mae Arnold of the Salvation Army.
Growing up in the Salvation Army meant moving several times during her childhood, ultimately settling in Nashville, Tennessee. She attended and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from George Peabody College for Teachers/Vanderbilt in 1945.
She married Franklin L. Estes Jr. in Nashville on Dec. 18, 1946. They had two daughters, Debbie and Susan, and moved from Nashville to Circleville when Frank was transferred by DuPont in 1964.
Betty was active in several civic organizations in Circleville, including serving as president of the Child Conservation League. She also held leadership positions in the Monday Club of Circleville, was a member of the Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs, a long-term active member of the Circleville Presbyterian Church, a member of the Presbyterian Women’s Association and served on the Berger Hospital General Guild, where she loved volunteering in the hospital gift shop to raise money for the hospital.
She also loved many social activities in Circleville, including golf and participating in the Pickaway Country Club women’s golf league in the summers. She was an avid bridge player all year long. She belonged to several bridge clubs over the years, where she developed her exceptional ability to participate in several conversations simultaneously. This skill served her well as a mother of teenage girls, and she also loved participating in her daughters’ various extracurricular activities, including driving cheerleaders hundreds of miles to away games.
She was also a 40-year breast cancer survivor, fighting and winning a valiant battle in 1984/85.
After retirement in 1985, Frank became a private contractor for DuPont teaching safety seminars, and he and Betty began to travel the country and the world for the next 10 years, often with their close friends. She also enjoyed going on cruises with Frank and her daughters, where she loved holding “cocktail parties” on every elevator ride.
Betty is preceded in death by her parents; and brother, William.
Survivors include her loving daughters, Debbie (Greg) Dunkle and Susan (Steve) Eskin; her adored grandson, Jason (Melissa Rager) Dunkle; her sisters, Mary Lou Hipps and Anna Lee McWhirter; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Betty’s name to the Circleville Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 147, Circleville, OH 43113-0147.
Online condolences can be made to www.wellmanfuneralhomes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
