Beth (Dealy) Craig, was born August 8, 1921 in Clay Township, Reno County, KS to Eugene Joseph and Maud (Barr) Dealy. Though her given name was Mary Elizabeth, she preferred to be called 'Beth.'   In her early years, they lived on a farm south of Hutchinson, and she attended Ijam country school. The family later moved north of Hutchinson, around the Mitchell area. She then attended Hutchinson schools, and graduated from Hutchinson High School. Beth remembered often hitching a ride with the dairy truck to get to school. She enjoyed participating in whatever sports girls were allowed to play at that time; and in later years complained that girls back then weren't allowed to play full court basketball like they do now…that they were only allowed to play half court games because 'girls couldn't do the things that boys could do.'

She enjoyed her farming background, preferring to help outside, instead of the 'girlish' duties of helping inside the house, washing dishes or dusting. She was proud of being able to help her dad with the fieldwork. Her chores on their dairy farm included getting up early to help get the cows milked before school started, since this was in the days before electric milking machines were used. One of her special memories was as a bank manager in California, she was entered in a milking contest against a rival bank manager. They both had experience milking in their youth, but it had been years since either of them had milked a cow. It was an exciting contest that year, with both of them filling their buckets fuller than all the contestants from past years combined. Beth didn't end up the winner, but she was still pleased with how well she did.

Beth's first job to make some money was helping a neighbor lady with her housework. Her main goal at the time was to be able to buy a bicycle she wanted. Week by week, she saved up the small pittance she was paid and finally was able to purchase the bicycle. She definitely wasn't happy when her little brother would decide to 'borrow' her bicycle!

Beth really enjoyed her jobs in the banking business. She started as a teller and worked her way up…again enjoying her ability to triumph in a job normally held by males in those days. She earned an associate's degree from Hutchinson Junior College, as it was known then, but she also took many night classes as needed through the years to satisfy whatever was required to get the next job up the 'ladder of success.' When she started in the banking business, computers were non-existent, so everything was completed 'by hand'…and though computers made banking easier in a lot of ways, it was also a constant challenge to keep up with the changes as computers were incorporated into daily use. Beth retired as the bank manager from the Security Pacific Bank, at Lompoc, CA, in 1983.

After she retired, she kept busy helping the local Altrusa Club, using her contacts and skills to help them raise funds for various projects in town. She enjoyed having something interesting to fill her extra time, the opportunity to meet new people, and to be one of the first ones in town to try out a new restaurant or shop when it opened. Another interesting project for her was as a Santa Maria city police volunteer, helping in their COPPS program.

Beth enjoyed traveling as much as she could throughout the years…she toured many places around our country, plus some overseas trips too. She thoroughly enjoyed all the places she visited, but she always said "once you have seen one Cathedral, you have seen them all."

Beth had a wide range of interests…including reading and keeping up to date on current events, sewing (both her own clothing and hand stitchery), spending time at the beach, touring the local wineries, and was an avid TV sports fan.

Beth ended up returning to the Hutchinson area in 2010 after her health started to decline. With no family in California, it seemed like a wise move. On her 92 ^nd birthday, she stated she hoped to live to be 100. Little did she know that within a year, her health would take such a downturn. She died at Hester Care Center, Hutchinson, KS on February 16, 2014.

Beth was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband of 37 years, Fred Craig of Santa Maria, CA. He died October 23, 1987. She is survived by her brother Charles E. Dealy and his wife Sylvia, of Sylvia, KS; 3 nephews: Charles A. Dealy, James A. Dealy and wife Annette, all of Sylvia, KS, and Walter E. Dealy and wife Sherry, of Arlington, KS; 2 nieces: Rita Williamson and husband Fred of Idaho Springs, CO, and Thresa Koepplin and husband Scott of Hutchinson, along with many great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Gravesite services were held 11 a.m. on Monday, February 24, 2014, at the Penwell-Gabel Cemetery, Father Ned Blick presiding.