Betty L. Royer McBee

August 14, 1928 – April 27, 2022

Betty (French) Royer McBee, age 93, died Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at her home surrounded by her family.

She was born August 14, 1928 in rural Crawfordsville, the daughter of the late Earl French Sr. and Mary Gooding French. 

Mrs. McBee was a cheerleader at Linden High School, graduating in 1946.  She married John Royer and raised a family of five children. Their love was shortened with his death in 1965. She later enjoyed 25 years of marriage with Walter ‘Sonny’ McBee before his death in 2018. Mrs. McBee worked 27 years for Tipmont REMC, retiring in 1993.

She enjoyed her activities with American Legion Axillary and Darlington Methodist Church.  She played bridge, euchre and bingo, traveled and watched horse racing for horses raised on the farm. She rooted for basketball and football games at Darlington High School, Purdue, IU and the Colts.  Mrs. McBee’s best times were enjoying children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Survivors include her five children Patti (Roger) Johnson, Dick (Candy) Royer, Pam Thomas, Penny (Steve) Pitcock and David Royer; three step-children Dean (Beth Goodlet) McBee, Lori (John) Greavu and John Keffer; two sisters Linda Thompson and Rosemary Lyonsk; 14 grandchildren Janee (Mark) Money, Julie (Barry) Scales, Joshua (Cyndi) Bell, Aaron (Jill) Royer, Brian (Jenn) Royer, JJ (Vanessa) Bell, Breanna (Tyler Cline) Royer, Shawn Pitcock, Paige Pitcock, Bodie Royer, KC (Chisolm) Kinder,  Chandler Fields, Mackenzi Mitchell, Christian Greavu and Colt (Katy)Keffer; 12 great-grandchildren Jarron, Kaiden, Calin, Charli, Benjamin, Alexander, Bay, Cassius, Colton, Sydney and Aspyn; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by son-in-law Gene Thomas; sister Dorothy Stockdale; brother Earl French, Jr.; and step-daughter Terri Keffer.

Visitation is scheduled to be at Burkhart Funeral Home, 201 West Wabash Avenue, Crawfordsville Monday, May 2 at 12 p.m. and last until the funeral service, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. with burial afterward at Greenlawn Cemetery in Darlington.

The family would like to extend its gratitude to Dr. Mathison and his staff, Susan Hampton RN, Paramedic Medicine Program and Brian McCoy and Southern Care Hospice, especially Nurse Paige for providing such loving care to Betty and to the Burkhart family for their support and guidance.

Memorial donations may be made to Darlington American Legion Auxiliary Post 302, PO Box 314 Darlington, or Linden Methodist Church PO Box 38, Linden.