Betty Lou Kaiser was born May 17, 1934, in Dunnegan, Missouri, the oldest child of Frank Myerly and Marjorie Alma (Butler) Swabby. She passed away on July 19, 2018, at her home in Clinton, Missouri.

After several years of moving around with her parents and three brothers, they moved to Clinton in 1951.  Soon after arriving in Clinton, she began working at the Lee Theater as a cashier and bookkeeper.  It was here where she made many friends and met her future husband.  On April 29, 1956, Betty was united in marriage to Donald Robert Kaiser at the New Hope Baptist Church by the Reverend Hugh Sperry.  This union was blessed with two children: Donna Sue and Kenneth Wayne. While her children were young, she continued working as a bookkeeper at the Crest Theater and the 52 Drive-In.  In 1967, she began working for Bob Coffey at Clinton Electric Supply Company as the bookkeeper.  She retired from there after 20 years and then joined her husband, Don, at their business, Kaiser Photography Studio.  They worked together taking family portraits, senior pictures, sports memory mates, and hundreds of weddings before making the decision to close the studio and retire in 2006 after 32 years of business.

One of Betty's many joys in life was bluegrass music, but more importantly was the friendships made at bluegrass festivals.  She and Don were charter members of the Golden Valley Bluegrass Association.  As members of GVBA, the bluegrass club was instrumental in bringing bluegrass music to Clinton.  Several times each year, they helped orchestrate bluegrass festivals at the Lester Foster Music Park east of town.  Betty and Don traveled with their bluegrass friends to festivals all over the Midwest, Mississippi, and North Carolina.  For over 20 years, they traveled to Nashville, Tennessee every February to photograph and attend the annual awards ceremony for SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America).  She enjoyed getting to see old friends there while listening to good bluegrass music.

Betty was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for over 60 years. She was a Sunday School teacher, and later was ordained as a deacon and served faithfully for many years.  In addition, she was a member of the flower committee, helped with the Red Cross blood drives, and made dozens of cookies for church events.  In her later years, Betty served on the board of the Henry County Historical Society and also volunteered as a greeter at the Henry County Museum.

Family was very important to Betty, and she was always there when her husband, children, or grandchildren needed her.  She loved to reminisce about her childhood and trips she had taken with her family and friends.  Everyone was always amazed at her ability to recall the smallest of details.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, John Wayne and Donnie Lee Swabby, and two nephews, Dennis Lee and Michael Keith Swabby.

Betty is survived by her husband of 62 years, Donald of the home; her daughter Donna Doll (David) and her son Kenneth Kaiser (Susan), both of Clinton; two grandchildren, Sarah Hall (Jason) of Windsor and Nathan Doll (Sharon) of Pleasant Hill; four great-grandchildren, Ashlee Hall and JJ Hall of Windsor, Mason Doll and Addison Doll of Pleasant Hill; one brother Clifford Eugene Swabby (Doriene) of Clinton; one uncle, John Edwin Swabby of Springfield;  one aunt, Doris Swabby of Neosho; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton, Missouri at 10:30 AM with interment to follow at Englewood Cemetery, Clinton.  Visitation will be Monday, July 23, 2018, from 6:00-7:30 PM at Vansant-Mills Chapel.  The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the First Presbyterian Church or to the Henry County Historical Society.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri