Obituary of Betty M. Whiteman

Beatrice “Betty” MacElroy Whiteman, 94, the widow of the late Donald “Don” C. Whiteman of Adams, New York, passed away at her home on Friday, April 22, 2016.  Her son, Robert C. Whiteman, his wife, Janis D. Griggs, and Mrs. Linda Camp were in attendance.  Betty was under the care of Hospice of Jefferson County after a short illness.  Also surviving are her grandchildren, Elizabeth Griggs Whiteman Woodruff and her son Elias Pierce Woodruff of Ellicott City, Maryland; and Ellen Griggs Whiteman and her husband, Adam Lynch, of Raleigh, North Carolina.  She is survived as well by two nephews, William MacElroy,  and Mark MacElroy, and her niece, Dawn MacElroy, as well as two grand nephews and a grand niece. Betty was born on May 11, 1921 in Lowell, Massachusetts to William Henry MacElroy and Evelyn Beatrice Vernon MacElroy.  After the family moved to the Albany area, Betty graduated from Troy High School in 1939.  Betty graduated with a degree in Home Economics from Russell Sage College in 1943.  Shortly after, she met Don while working as an assistant extension agent in Delaware County.  Don had joined the Cooperative Extension Service of Delaware after completing his US Air Force duty.  They married in Walton, New York, in September 1947 and their son was born in 1952 in Ft. Collins, Colorado, while Don was a graduate student at the State University of Colorado.  They returned to the Walton area that spring  before moving to Adams in November of 1955. Betty had a passion for teaching and learning, and believed in the importance of education.  She earned a Master’s degree in Education through Potsdam State University in 1962 and became second grade teacher at what is now South Jefferson Central School.  Later, she became a certified literacy teacher and traveled to three elementary schools to teach children who needed extra help in reading. She was named Elementary School Teacher of the year in 1975 and she was a long time member of the Women’s educational sorority, Delta Kappa Gamma.  She retired after 19 years of teaching but continued to volunteer as a tutor at the Dry Hill Correctional Facility, working to build literacy skills with inmates from all over the state.  Betty was active in her community and the Adams Village Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir, served on governing boards, and was a member the Ladies Aid Society.  The Adams Rotary named Betty and Don as Joint Citizen of the Year for their volunteer work in the village of Adams and Southern Jefferson County.  She was a charter member of the South Jeff United Way Campaign and served on the Ecumenical Council of Adams seeking to expand better understanding between churches in the area.  Other programs she participated in were Food Sense Food Bank, the Crop Walk, the American Field Service foreign exchange student program, through which the Whitemans hosted Romeo Santo-Tomas of the Philippines in the late 1960s. She and Don were regular "bell ringers" for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Christmas fund drives and participated in many other charitable activities throughout the area. While Betty and Don spent over 60 years rooted in the Adams community, they enjoyed traveling the world with friends from the Lions Club in their retirement.  In addition to visiting Australia and Europe, Betty and Don had a number of adventures in Alaska – a particular favorite of theirs.  On one memorable trip they drove a second-hand VW camper wagon from Adams, through the Canadian Rockies, to a church camp in Central Alaska where Betty served as assistant cook and Don the handyman. Betty enjoyed knowing what was going on in Adams and she served as the writer of the “Around Adams” column for the Jefferson County Journal for many years -- even giving her successor leads on newsworthy visitors from out of town.  (When asked why many of her reports always ended with “a good time was had by all,” she responded, “I get paid by the column inch.”) Even as her health declined, her interest in the village did not.  When writing scores of letters a week to friends and shut-ins she always included a “Hug Coupon”.  In her later years she loved to sit on her front porch and “see what was happening, on her street. Her family extends their deepest thanks to the team of caregivers who faithfully and skillfully helped get Betty to  her weekly hair appointments and Friday lunches at Gram's Diner that were so important to her.  Linda Camp, with Pam, Kim, Jessica, Mary and Roberta gave her excellent care and the family will be forever grateful. A memorial service will be at the Adams Village Baptist Church on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 11 am.  The family will receive visitors beginning at 9.30  before service and the church women’s group will offer lunch following the service.  The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be sent to the Donald and Betty Whiteman Scholarship fund at Jefferson County Community College, the music program at the Adams Village Baptist Church, or the Hospice of Jefferson County.