Elizabeth Ann 'Betts' Roth, 87, of Cherokee Village, Ark., retired educator and author died Friday, Feb. 23, 2007. Betts was born in Duluth on March 1919, the only child of her parents, Ivy N. and Alois T. Roth, now deceased. She was a long time resident of Cherokee Village. After graduating from Miss Wood's School in Minneapolis, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn., and went on to earn a Master of the Arts degree from Columbia University, New York, N.Y. For the next five years (1945-1950) she taught in the Duluth Public Schools and at the University of Minnesota, Duluth Branch. During the next 25 years Betts established her professional career as an associate professor of early childhood education at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. She was a member of several professional organizations including Kappa Delta Pi, the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Association of University Professors. During these years, she authored several books on early childhood education and penned a number of articles as instructional resources for Iowa's Midland Schools. After retiring in 1976, she moved to Cherokee Village, Arkansas where she became actively involved as a member of the League of Women Voters, a member of the Election Board, a charter member of Friends of Homelss Animals, an enthusiastic member of the Great Decisions Group, and an involved participant in her community Property Owner's Association. She is survived by her special friend of many years, Marshall Schools, as well as by other friends and loved ones whose lives she touched in memorable ways with her kindness, her quick wit, and her winsome smile. After cremation, a tombstone will be inscribed in her memory at the Forest Hills Cemetery, Duluth, beside her parents. Memorial contributions may be made to the Roth Scholarship Fund at the University of Northern Iowa-Cedar Falls, Iowa or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the Tri-County Funeral Home of Highland, Ark.
Published in the Duluth News Tribune on 2/27/2007.