Betty M. Huber

Betty Huber was a stubborn, strong-willed Irish woman " and a woman who would do anything for her friends and family. Loving and affectionate, Betty always made sure friends and family knew they were loved. Even her characteristic exclamation of Dumbhead was said with affection " in fact, if Betty called you Dumbhead, you knew that she liked you! Bettys big heart, feisty personality, and loving nature will be deeply missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing her. Betty was born on December 24, 1922, an early Christmas present for delighted parents Charles and Mae (Hogan) Dougherty. Betty was the youngest of the family, and grew up with older siblings Rita and Victor. The Dougherty family lived in Medina, Ohio, where Charles was in the oil business and Mae was a homemaker. Later, when Betty was six years old, the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Betty attended school at Sacred Heart Academy (the school of her lifelong parish, Sacred Heart), and graduated in 1940. While Betty was in high school, she dated a young man named Bob Sweeney. One weekend, Bob had to go out of town, and asked his buddy Elton Huber to look after Betty for him. Elton did just that " for the next 62 years, until his own death in 2006. Betty and Elton were married on January 10, 1944, in the priest house of Sacred Heart Parish. After her marriage, Betty found a job with an oil company as a secretary. With the birth of her first child, however, Betty decided to become a full-time mom. As the years went by, Betty and Elton were blessed with three daughters: Connie, Mary Lynne, and Marty. Betty was a wonderful mother: strict but fair, and always loving. She made sure the girls grew up with the right values, and passed her own deep religious faith on to them. With her Irish heritage, Betty could be stubborn and strong-willed at times. The girls remember one particular incident when it was Martys turn to do the dishes. Marty said she had to go to the library to study, so Betty asked Connie to fill in. When Connie refused and left the house, Betty chased her all the way down the street with dish-soap suds still on her hands! Connie must have had a little Irish in her as well, since Mary Lynne ended up doing the dishes that night. When the children were old enough, Betty re-entered the workforce part-time. She took a job with Central Michigan University, where she worked as a secretary in the physical education department. In her free time, Betty loved reading and watching re-runs of her favorite shows on TV, especially MASH and Walker Texas Ranger. She also had a beautiful voice, and enjoyed singing hymns on Sundays at Sacred Heart. Betty and Elton both had deep roots in the Mt. Pleasant area, and belonged to Moose Lodge No. 195 and the Mt. Pleasant Country Club. They enjoyed getting together with friends for golf, bowling, and bridge. In recent years, the Fourth of July has been a highlight of Bettys calendar. On this day each year, her grandson Steve and great-grandson Andrew visited from Arizona, and all four generations of Bettys family gathered together. Christmas was also a special time, the more so because Bettys birthday was on Christmas Eve. The girls would always take her out for a birthday lunch, and return home to celebrate Christmas Eve together later that night. Affectionate, stubborn, and kind-hearted, Betty was a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother, and a loyal friend. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her many friends and family members. Mrs. Betty M. Huber died on December 21, 2012, at the age of 89. Bettys family includes her daughter, Mary Lynne of Mt. Pleasant; her sons-in-law, Ed Varga and Doug Staveley, both of Rosebush; her grandchildren, Jeff (Gerrie) Prout of Freeland, Jamie Prout of Midland, Steve Varga of Maricopa, AZ, Chad Varga of Lansing and Sara Staveley of Rosebush; her great-grandchildren, Brittany and Jalyn Prout and Andrew Varga; and eight nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Elton, in 2006; her daughters, Connie Staveley in 1999 and Marty Varga in 2006; her sister, Rita Lukens; and her brother, Vic Dougherty. The family will receive friends at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home on Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m., with the Vigil beginning at 7:30 p.m. Visitation continues at the church on Thursday one hour prior to the Mass. A Funeral Mass for Betty will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 27, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with Father Thomas Held presiding. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Woodland Hospice or Sacred Heart Academy Foundation. Envelopes are available at the funeral home.