Gertrude 'Gitch' D. Beatty

Gertrude D. “Gitch” Beatty, 83, of Kearney, died Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at the St. John’s Good Samaritan Society in Kearney. Memorial services will be Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at the Faith United Methodist Church with Pastor Robert Perry officiating. Graveside services will be at 1:00 p.m. at the Overton Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Team Webbygail, to help with lung transplant expenses for Abigail Dunning and Faith United Methodist Church. Gitch was born December 23, 1930 in Overton, Nebraska to John and Gertrude (Leek) Carey. She was the youngest of five children and often spoke fondly of growing up with her two brothers and two sisters. She graduated from Overton High School. After high school Gitch attended University of Nebraska in Lincoln, graduating with distinction in June of 1953 with a degree in Speech Pathology. She was an active member of the Mortar Board and excelled in her studies. She married her high school sweetheart Charles H. “Chuck” Beatty of Holdrege, on October 30, 1954 in Overton. After accompanying Charles for several years in the Army, they settled down in Kearney in 1959 where Charles practiced law. Gitch went to work as a Speech and Language Therapist for Educational Service Unit 10. She worked in Kearney public schools as well as rural schools. She retired in 1997 after 30 years of service. She had many friends in the community, as a member of the Bridge club, the Overton Methodist Church, and the Faith United Methodist Church. She helped an untold number of children overcome their speech impediments, and her former students (and their parents) would often approach and thank her for the help she’d rendered years before. She loved children and animals and was often known to “rescue” animals from the roadside or other unfortunate predicaments. She was an ever loving mother and daughter with a strong faith in God. Gitch is survived by her sons, Jack Beatty and his wife Janelle of Kearney, Patrick Beatty and his wife Karen of Basehor, KS; granddaughters, Blossom Hinyub and her husband Bennett of Foley, AL, Amanda Burgos and her husband Willy of Puyallup, WA, Madeline Freeman and her husband James of Offutt AFB, Bellevue, NE; grandsons, John Beatty of Kansas City, MO, Shane Beatty and special friend Kelsey Pavkov of Lincoln, NE; great-grandchildren Ava Hinyub, William, Lilly and Chase Burgos, Parker Freeman; son-in-law Ernest Brown of Kearney. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles in 2010, daughter Mary L. Brown, brothers Norval and Jack Carey, sisters Isabel Cox and Virginia Carey. PDF Printable Version

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Gertrude 'Gitch' D. Beatty

December 23, 1930 - December 10, 2014