Betty E. Spindler

Betty Spindler Marian Elizabeth (Betty) (Elder) Spindler died November 14, 2011 at the age of 91. She was born in Denver, CO on April 4, 1920 to Homer Thomas Elder and Margaret M. Kelley of Keenesburg, CO. Her father was born in Hodgeman County, Kansas and served as the Mayor of Keenesburg and on the school board there. Her mother, who died when Betty was six years old, was born in Janesville, Wisconsin. Betty grew up on her father's wheat farm and graduated from Keenesburg High School in 1938. After graduation she went to nurse's training at Bethel in Colorado Springs. Betty joined the Army Nurse Corp in December 1942 as an officer and deployed in April 1943 with the 92nd Evacuation Unit to the southwest Pacific. She served in Australia and in field hospitals near the front lines on the islands of Owi and Biak in New Guinea. In January 1945 Betty was pre-positioned with her unit 75 miles ahead of the infantry in order to provide immediate medical care to survivors of the Bataan Death March after they were rescued in the famous 'Raid on Cabanatuan' on Luzon Island in the Philipines. The 92nd Evac was written about extensively in the book, Our Padre: The Inspiring Life and Stories of Fr. Kilian Dreiling, C.PP.S WW II Army Chaplain by Joseph S. Smith. Fr. Dreiling served as the Chaplain of the 92nd Evac and was instrumental in arranging the first of what became many unit reunions in 1974. After the war, Betty graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in nutrition. She worked as a nurse at St. Luke's Hospital and later earned her teaching certificate and taught for 19 years in the Littleton Public Schools. She was preceded in death by her first husband, John Macdonald, her second husband, Murray Spindler, and her brother, George Elder. Betty is survived by her brother, Kenneth (Sandy) Elder of Greeley, her three children: Sharon Macdonald (Paul Houston) of Denver, Tom (Joyce Anderson) Macdonald, of Lakewood, Margaret (Stephen) Oblock of Denver, seven grandchildren: Aaron Houston (Jamie Griffin), Margaret (Jeffrey) Simpson, Patrick Houston, Monica Houston, Garrett Macdonald, Kristine Oblock, Katherine Oblock, and four great grandchildren. Services Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at St. Micheal and All Angels Episcopal Church, 1400 South University Blvd., Denver, CO. Interment Fort Logan National Cemetery.