Obituary: Minnich, Betty Hannah
Age 93
MINNICH,
Betty Hannah
Was born April 14, 1919 and passed into eternal life May 27, 2012.
Betty Hannah Arnquist was born April 14, 1919 on Lopez Island, WA to Mavis and Willet Arnquist.
She grew up in New York City and Hudson, WI, where she graduated from Hudson High School in 1937.
After high school, she came to Spokane, WA and attended Whitworth College.
There she met Hal Minnich, a fellow student.
Betty and Hal became well-known on campus and in church as vocalists.
World War II separated them for a time, during which Betty attended Eastern Washington State College in Cheney and taught school using an emergency war time teaching certificate.
When the war ended in 1945, Betty and Hal married in Cambridge, MA, and then moved to Seattle, WA where Hal finished his college education at the University of Washington.
Betty and Hal had five children, and lived in Omak and Colville, WA, where Betty taught kindergarten for a number of years.
At first she was still using her war time teaching certificate, but she wanted to graduate from college, so she spent several summers finishing her BA Ed.
She graduated from EWSC in 1969 at the age of 50.
She and Hal moved to Cheney, WA in 1998.
Betty loved to sing, and was involved in many singing groups over the years, including various church and community choirs and a light opera group in Kirkland, WA.
She was a member of Omak Presbyterian Church in Omak, WA, Grace Evangelical Free Church in Colville, WA, and Cheney Community Church in Cheney, WA.
Her other interests included knitting, crocheting, gardening, preserving foods, baking, quilting, reading, and traveling and (in her younger years) camping, hiking and swimming.
She dearly loved her grandchildren, and made special quilts for each one of them.
Betty was preceded in death by her brother Otto Arnquist, her son, Dan Minnich, and her husband of 62 years, Hal Minnich.
She is survived by daughter Marti (Paul) Walker, daughter-in-law Sharon Minnich, son Steve (Sandy) Minnich, daughter Debby (Mark) Flory, daughter Genny (Mike) McKinley; 13 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life service will be held at Cheney Community Church, 1307 3rd St., Cheney, WA 99004, on Friday, June 22 at 11:00 AM.
Memorial gifts may be given to Cheney Community Church and Cheney Care Center.
CHENEY FUNERAL CHAPEL, CHENEY WA.