Betsy Ann Merrill

*In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Betsy's name.

      Betsy Ann Merrill, the daughter of Carl and Elizabeth (Millar) Kabelitz was born July 21, 1951 in Los Angeles, CA. She was raised as a Christian by good Christian parents in a good Christian environment. As a teenager, she accepted the Lord and was Baptized. Her childhood years were spent in the Los Angeles, Inglewood, and Hawthorne, CA areas, where she attended school, and graduated from Morningside High School in Inglewood, CA in 1969. She then attended California Center for Biblical Studies from Fall 1969 to Spring of 1970.

     Betsy enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1972 and served until her Honorable Discharge in 1975. She was stationed at Travis AFB, CA. She met Gary Merrill on the first day of her new job, where they went on their first date the following Friday and were Engaged in September. Betsy married Gary on November 18, 1972 at the base chapel on Travis AFB, CA. They were stationed at Clark AFB, Philippines and Kelly AFB, TX. They moved to Ames, IA where she attended classes at Iowa State University. Later, they moved to Hawthorne, CA and then bought a home in Lawndale, CA. They moved back to Iowa in 1994 where they lived in Gillett Grove, IA before buying an acreage near Webb, IA in 2003 where she lived the rest of her life.

     Betsy went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at her home, at the age of 72. She was preceded in death by her parents.

     Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 50 years, Gary; her daughter, Heather (Galen) Habben; 3 grandchildren, Isaac, Jacob, Kristina; 2 brothers; nieces; nephew; other relatives; a multitude of cats; and many friends.