Obituary of Bette B. Zellers

Bette Zellers, most recently of Darien, CT, died of cancer on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at the Richard Rosenthal Hospice Residence of Stamford, CT. She was 87 years old. Bette will be fondly remembered by family and friends for her charm, sincerity, warmth, and unassuming sophistication; simply 'a great lady'. She had a gleam in her eye, an easy smile, a generous heart, a bright outlook, and a wonderful sense of humor. She touched many lives in so many positive ways. Bette will be missed, and her memory cherished, by all those who knew her. Born November 6th, 1920 in Dekalb, Ill. to Edna and Edward T. Blomquist, Bette was the youngest of her two siblings, Edward and Evelyn. She attended Rockford College and Northern Illinois State Teachers College (now Northern Illinois University) and was a leader of numerous campus societies and clubs. After graduating with a B. S. degree in home economics in 1942, Bette moved to Chicago where she worked for Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and then for the Milk Foundation. In 1948 she was discovered by WGN-TV and became the first host of one of the earliest televised cooking shows in the country, 'Chicago Cooks with Barbara Barkley' (she adopted this stage name) -- she received numerous accolades for being a 'culinary inspiration' to thousands of post-war housewives. That same year she married Edward A. Zellers of Indiana, PA. In 1951, the couple moved to Port Chester, NY in an area now known as Rye Brook. There they raised two children, Barbara and Ted (Edward T.), and Bette started teaching home economics part-time at Ridge Street School. In 1968, the family moved to Livingston, NJ. Three years later, following the untimely death of her husband, Bette took a full-time position on the faculty of Parsippany Hills High School, again teaching home economics. She continued her career as a high school teacher until 1985, whereupon she retired and soon after moved to Washington, D.C. to care for her ailing elder brother Edward T. Blomquist, who passed away in 1989. Bette stayed on in Washington for another two years and then decided to relocate north again, to Madison, NJ (near Livingston), where she lived happily for 10 years. In 2001, at the age of 81, she accepted an invitation from her daughter's family to live with them in Darien and start the next chapter of her life. Bette was active throughout her life in many organizations, most notably the Livingston and Noroton Presbyterian Churches, AAUW, and PEO. She was an avid reader, bridge player, and volunteer for numerous causes, reaching out to young and old in need of a helping hand. She enjoyed taking lifelong learning courses, traveling throughout the world, and going on Elderhostel tours with close friends. Most recently, she thoroughly enjoyed the comraderie of the Go Girls, a group that takes trips to local events, museums, and shows. It is a testament to her vibrant spirit, cheerful manner, fun-loving attitude, and genuine kindness that wherever she went she made steadfast friends. Bette is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Tom Geraghty, and grandson Brian, of Darien, CT, and her son and daughter-in-law Ted and Wendy Zellers and grandson Thomas, of Ann Arbor, MI. She would want to acknowledge, with deepest appreciation, those dear friends and members of the Noroton Presbyterian Church and PEO, who visited and helped care for her toward the end. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 11 am at the Noroton Presbyterian Church, Darien, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Bette Zellers College Scholarship Fund, PEO Foundation, 3700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50312-2899. Arrangements are being handled by the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home of Darien, CT. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820