Bettye Jo Willson Daniher, age 74, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 17, 2024 at Renaissance Health and Rehabilitation Center in Italy, TX after a long battle with dementia. She was born on January 5, 1950, in Dallas, TX to Royce H (Pete) Willson and Virginia Lee (Peggy) Young Willson. She grew up in Oak Cliff with her 3 siblings and was a 1968 graduate of Sunset High School. Bettye Jo was a licensed beautician before she graduated from high school as she completed her training at Nielson Beauty College in Oak Cliff at night and during summers. She worked at Georgia Green’s Beauty Shop in Cockrel Hill, TX after graduation. She briefly attended college at Henderson County Junior College, in Athens, TX as well.
In 1970 she married Jackie Lee Smith and to this union one child, Victoria Lynn, was born. They resided in Athens, TX until their divorce in 1973. On June 3,1973, Bettye Jo married Robert Ray Ward at his mother, Bernice Young’s, home in Pampa, TX. They moved to Joes, Colorado where they lived from 1973-1990. To this union, Cathryn Joanne and Bryan Nicholas Ward were born. They raised their family on the family farm in Joes, Colorado. To diversify the farming business, Bettye Jo was the owner/operator of Kountry K-9 Kennels and Grooming. She bred and showed AKC German Shepherds, and other breeds of dogs along with being a farm wife and mom.
During the 1990’s Bettye Jo and Bob divorced and Bettye Jo moved to the Dever area where she had various jobs including working for a courier service and operating a switchboard for AT&T. She met her third husband and was united in marriage to Jerome Matthew Daniher in March of 1998. In 1998, Bettye Jo and Jerome moved to Plano where they resided until 2016. They established an online and vendor show business, Spirit Scents, that catered to new age and Native American art, healing, and beliefs. Bettye Jo became a resident at Renaissance Rehabilitation Center in Italy, TX in 2017 where she was cared for until her passing.
Bettye Jo was very creative and active. While raising her kids, she was involved as a Girl Scout troop leader and as a 4-H leader for crocheting. She was an excellent cook and baker. Many of her Christmas and birthday gifts were homemade goodies. She was the keeper of family history and the glue that held her extended family together. If you ever needed a phone number or an address, she was the one with that information. Music and movies were two of her passions and if the movie was a musical, that was even better. She also loved her Big D, Dallas, and couldn’t wait to move back home after living in Colorado for 25 years. With her business, Spirit Scents, she participated in Native American Pow Wows and sold her aromatherapy, crochet, quilting, and beading handiwork at vendor events across Colorado and Texas. Above all, she was a loving and dedicated mother and grandmother. She never forgot a birthday and attended as many activities as possible.
Bettye Jo was preceded in death by her parents “Pete” and “Peggy” Willson, and husband, Jerome Daniher, as well as many close family members and friends. She is survived by her older brothers, Royce (Pete) Willson Jr. and Ann of Boulder, CO; Lynn Willson of Midlothian, TX, and younger sister, Virginia Willson Sterling of Laguna Park, TX; her 3 children, Victoria and Roy Van Huss of Waxahachie, TX, Cathryn Ward Tamrakar of Gainesville,TX, and Bryan Ward of Littleton, CO. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Chad and wife Kristina Van Huss, Tyanna Ward, Kylie and husband Aaron McCabe, Jacob Christensen, Dakotah and husband Judah Bozeman, and Makenna Van Huss as well as one great grandchild, Wyatt McCabe. In addition, there are surviving cousins, nieces, nephews and loved ones.
Bettye Jo’s Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Wayne Boze Funeral Home,1826 W Hwy 287 Business, Waxahachie, TX 75165 with a family meal provided by Bethel Community Church of Ellis County, 534 Bethel Rd, Waxahachie, TX following the service.
