Betsy Hill Wade, 88, died on July 10, 2024 under Hospice care at her home in Owensboro, KY
Bessie Ann, as she was known in her childhood and to her West Virginia family, was born to Bess VandeLinde Hill and Carlos V. Hill on Feb. 16, 1936 at home in Lory, W.Va. She weighed about two pounds. The country doctor attending her birth swaddled her, placed her into a shoe box, and surrounded it with hot bricks to keep her warm. The scrappy preemie made it through a bout of rickets and went on to play basketball at Scott High School in Danville, W. Va., from which she graduated.
Her first job was in the finger print division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. (That fact was of great interest, and a bit of trepidation, to her grandchildren.) She returned to school and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Alderson Broaddus College (AB) in Philippi, W. Va, with a major in biology.
It was at AB where she met a tall, dark, and handsome transfer student from Warren Wilson College.
Betsy and Thomas “Tom” M.L. Wade married on Sept., 5, 1957 in Lory and had been married 63 years at the time of his death in 2021.
In addition to her stint at the FBI, Betsy enjoyed a variety of careers including hospital aide; bookkeeper for Our Tennis House; tobacco pool federal purchasing agent; Balloons Over Owensboro with her partner in crime, Monika Logan; and director of the Owensboro Alliance on Mental Illness, from which she retired.
Betsy valued service to others and exemplified that by volunteering, whether it be for the public library, her church, Presbyterian Women, the hospital, and more.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brother, William M. Hill; her foster daughter, Judy McDaniel Bolender; and her chosen sister, Janice Smith Payne.
Betsy is survived by daughters Debi Wade Jordan (Russell Fredrick) of Philpot, KY, Pam Wade Kenner of Crossville, Tenn., and Sara Wade Abell (Ronnie Abell) of Owensboro, KY. Also left to cherish her memory are her grandchildren Bartholomew Wade Kenner (Melissa Kenner) of Linwood, Kan., Thomas “Ted” Gray of Philpot, Christopher Martin Abell (Kelsey Atteberry) of Owensboro, Bailey Joanna Jordan Warner (Chase Warner) of Bowling Green, KY, Leah Elizabeth Abell of Owensboro, and Emilee Milburn Pierson of Allen, Tex.; along with six great grandchildren, two nieces, a nephew, son-in-law B.J. Jordan of Bowling Green, and her beloved beach and family camp families.
Visitation will be 1-2:30 p.m. on Aug. 3 with a celebration of life at 3 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church at 426 St. Ann St., Owensboro.
The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made in her name to Hospice of Western Kentucky or Puzzle Pieces.