American patriot Betsy Heimke, 91, remembered
E. Elizabeth "Betsy" Herold Heimke, 91, passed away April 6, in her home at Tall Grass Creek, Overland Park, Kan.
She is survived by her children Susan Elizabeth and her husband, Cory Thompson, William Karl II, Robert Herold and his wife, Julie, and Sally Ann and her husband, Tom Karst; by five grandchildren, Karl Heimke and his wife, Niki, Kristen and her husband, Collin Pedersen, Ben Karst, Brian Karst and his wife Amber, and Betsy and her husband, David Wagner; and by nine great-grandchildren, Londynn, Brody, Mason, Roman, Cole, Carl, J.J., Brock and Eva.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Karl Frederick Heimke, brother Clement William Herold and parents Ethel and Elmer Herold.
Betsy was born Nov. 18, 1929 in Baguio, The Philippines, during a time when her American parents worked in the Philippines as schoolteachers. Later, her father helped manage a sawmill and logging operation near Baguio. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, they also immediately began an attack on The Philippines, which was then an American colony.
Japan took control of Baguio in late 1941. Over the next three years, Betsy and her family were held in several Japanese civilian internment camps in The Philippines. When the internment began, Betsy was 12 years old. Betsy told the story of her family's prison camp ordeal and eventual liberation in Manilla in a video interview with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project https://bit.ly/3dC68u0. Betsy also authored a book in 2008 called "Bring cup, plate and spoon" about her war time experience. A small U.S. flag made by Betsy in the prison camp from fabric scraps has hung prominently in all her homes for more than 70 years, accompanied by the words, “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.”
After the war, Betsy returned to the U.S. for schooling, and earned an R.N. at Northwestern University in 1952.
Betsy married Karl Heimke, a World War II veteran and graduate of Wisconsin's Ripon College and the University of Wisconsin's law school, on Oct. 4, 1952. The union would last more than 61 years, until Karl's death on July 6, 2014.
In the couple’s first 15 years of marriage, they resided in Sheboygan, Wis., Potosi, Wis., Milwaukee, Wis., and Wheaton, Ill.
In 1969, the Heimke family moved from Wheaton to Overland Park.
Ever since Betsy was a child in The Philippines, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. She put her nursing career on hold while having her children. After her last child began kindergarten, she returned to nursing at DuPage County Hospital, Ill. Upon moving to Overland Park, Kan., she took a position in Shawnee Mission Medical Center as an emergency room nurse. She worked at that hospital for more than 20 years. Her love for nursing continued her whole life, as she enjoyed regular get-togethers with retired nurses.
With the purchase of a lake home near Laurie, Mo., in 1975, the Heimke's made possible more than 30 years of year-round fun and water sports at the Lake of the Ozarks for family and friends.
Betsy loved to explore her American roots. Among their numerous trips during retirement, she and Karl found the gravestone of one of her ancestors from the American Revolutionary War. She also had a talent and love for craftwork, including many cross-stitch, sewing and knitting projects that she would give to family and friends.
Betsy's enduring legacy is her deep love for family and the United States of America. She was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Heart of America Ex-P.O.W. Chapter.
The visitation for Betsy will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 17 at the Amos Family Funeral Home & Crematory, with a 30-minute Memorial Service following at the funeral home.
Betsy's final resting place will be with her beloved Karl at British Hollow Cemetery in Potosi, Wis. Donations in Betsy’s memory can be made to the Disabled American Veterans at https://bit.ly/3wBSG1Y.
Funeral Ceremony
Start Date: April 17, 2021, 5:00 pm
End Date: April 17, 2021, 5:30 pm
Amos Family Funeral Home
10901 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5566
Visitation
Start Date: April 17, 2021, 4:00 pm
End Date: April 17, 2021, 5:00 pm
Amos Family Funeral Home
10901 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5566
E. Elizabeth "Betsy" Herold Heimke, 91, passed away April 6, in her home at Tall Grass Creek, Overland Park, Kan.
She is survived by her children Susan Elizabeth and her husband, Cory Thompson, William Karl II, Robert Herold and his wife, Julie, and Sally Ann and her husband, Tom Karst; by five grandchildren, Karl Heimke and his wife, Niki, Kristen and her husband, Collin Pedersen, Ben Karst, Brian Karst and his wife Amber, and Betsy and her husband, David Wagner; and by nine great-grandchildren, Londynn, Brody, Mason, Roman, Cole, Carl, J.J., Brock and Eva.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Karl Frederick Heimke, brother Clement William Herold and parents Ethel and Elmer Herold.
Betsy was born Nov. 18, 1929 in Baguio, The Philippines, during a time when her American parents worked in the Philippines as schoolteachers. Later, her father helped manage a sawmill and logging operation near Baguio. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, they also immediately began an attack on The Philippines, which was then an American colony.
Japan took control of Baguio in late 1941. Over the next three years, Betsy and her family were held in several Japanese civilian internment camps in The Philippines. When the internment began, Betsy was 12 years old. Betsy told the story of her family's prison camp ordeal and eventual liberation in Manilla in a video interview with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project https://bit.ly/3dC68u0. Betsy also authored a book in 2008 called "Bring cup, plate and spoon" about her war time experience. A small U.S. flag made by Betsy in the prison camp from fabric scraps has hung prominently in all her homes for more than 70 years, accompanied by the words, “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.”
After the war, Betsy returned to the U.S. for schooling, and earned an R.N. at Northwestern University in 1952.
Betsy married Karl Heimke, a World War II veteran and graduate of Wisconsin's Ripon College and the University of Wisconsin's law school, on Oct. 4, 1952. The union would last more than 61 years, until Karl's death on July 6, 2014.
In the couple’s first 15 years of marriage, they resided in Sheboygan, Wis., Potosi, Wis., Milwaukee, Wis., and Wheaton, Ill.
In 1969, the Heimke family moved from Wheaton to Overland Park.
Ever since Betsy was a child in The Philippines, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. She put her nursing career on hold while having her children. After her last child began kindergarten, she returned to nursing at DuPage County Hospital, Ill. Upon moving to Overland Park, Kan., she took a position in Shawnee Mission Medical Center as an emergency room nurse. She worked at that hospital for more than 20 years. Her love for nursing continued her whole life, as she enjoyed regular get-togethers with retired nurses.
With the purchase of a lake home near Laurie, Mo., in 1975, the Heimke's made possible more than 30 years of year-round fun and water sports at the Lake of the Ozarks for family and friends.
Betsy loved to explore her American roots. Among their numerous trips during retirement, she and Karl found the gravestone of one of her ancestors from the American Revolutionary War. She also had a talent and love for craftwork, including many cross-stitch, sewing and knitting projects that she would give to family and friends.
Betsy's enduring legacy is her deep love for family and the United States of America. She was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Heart of America Ex-P.O.W. Chapter.
The visitation for Betsy will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 17 at the Amos Family Funeral Home & Crematory, with a 30-minute Memorial Service following at the funeral home.
Betsy's final resting place will be with her beloved Karl at British Hollow Cemetery in Potosi, Wis. Donations in Betsy’s memory can be made to the Disabled American Veterans at https://bit.ly/3wBSG1Y.
Events
Funeral Ceremony
Start Date: April 17, 2021, 5:00 pm
End Date: April 17, 2021, 5:30 pm
Amos Family Funeral Home
10901 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5566
Visitation
Start Date: April 17, 2021, 4:00 pm
End Date: April 17, 2021, 5:00 pm
Amos Family Funeral Home
10901 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5566
Guestbook
Visits: 8
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