HARLINGEN,TX.— Nina Sue Betts

89, of Rio Hondo, La Feria, and Harlingen, died Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at La Hacienda Healthcare in Harlingen, Texas.

She was born on January 6, 1920 in Atkins, Arkansas of parents, William C. Turner and Jannie Swann Lewis. The family, including two sisters, Lillian “Hough” and Juanita “Zamponi” and an older brother, Lewis, moved to Rio Hondo, Texas in the 20s.

Nina graduated from Rio Hondo High School. Her older brother Lewis was lost on the famous destroyer, U.S.S. Rueben James off the coast of Iceland on October 31, 1941, six weeks before World War II began, torpedoed by U -552, the infamous German submarine “Red Devil Boat.” Lewis was the first Rio Grande Valley boy, leading up to WWII, to lose his life
to enemy fire.

His sister Nina then enlisted in the Navy “Waves” and served the War’s duration in Washington DC. After the war ended, Nina returned to the Rio Grande Valley and on March 18, 1947, she and Raymond Betts of La Feria were married. They lived most of their lives together in La Feria, Hargill, Monte Alto and back to La Feria. While her husband worked many years in the lumber business, Nina worked as secretary at the First Methodist Church in La Feria and the Boy Scouts of America office in Harlingen.

After retirement and the loss of her husband Raymond in 1990, she resided for many years at the Palms Retirement Apartments in Harlingen.

The last year and ½ of her life was spent under hospice care at La Hacienda Healthcare. Her sisters, Juanita “Zamponi” and Lillian “Hough” preceded her. Though Nina and Raymond had no children, she had four nephews, Larry and David Zamponi, and Lloyd and Thom Betts. She also had four nieces, Nancy Zamponi “Brinkley,” Lucy Hough “Johnson,” Patricia Betts, ”Easterling” and Lindy Betts “Tucker”. She was great aunt to Gina, Rex, Dax, Deuce, Amy, Charlie, Valerie, Rhett, Todd, Toby, Mark, Kirk, Chris, Matthew, James, Amy, Melissa, Kimberly, and Erin.

A memorial service will be held to celebrate and remember her life on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 5:00 pm at Rudy Garza Funeral Home Chapel, 1702 E. Harrison, Harlingen.

Please send memorials to your own special charities, just as did Nina so faithfully.

Sign the guestbook at: http://legacy.com/Valleystar/Obituaries.asp