Elizabeth Josephine Schoenberger

Elizabeth Josephine Schoenberger, 97, of Hurst, Texas, passed away April 16, surrounded by her loving family.  Betty was born in Buffalo, New York, on May 4, 1923, to parents Florence (Loucks) and Reynold Norquist. After graduating from Jamestown High School, Jamestown, New York, she attended nursing school in Rochester, New York, where she received her RN degree and began working in a local hospital. One of her patients introduced Betty to her son, just out of the Navy, and that is how she met and fell in love with Donald W. Schoenberger.  They were married on November 22, 1947, and spent 57 years together until Donald’s death in January, 2005.

They moved to Fort Worth after Donald obtained a job as a mechanic for a newly founded airline, American Airlines, where he remained a Flight Engineer for more than 40 years.  Betty was a homemaker for most of that time, but did work as a nurse for a time at the Schick Hospital in North Richland Hills.

In 1953, the family, now consisting of three children, Donna, Karen and Bill, moved to Hurst, where both Don and Betty were instrumental in developing municipal programs in the rapidly growing town.  Donald was a founding member of the Hurst Fire Department and served on the Hurst City Council.  Betty was influential in establishing the first library in Hurst, as well as being a charter member of the Sonata Club.  Betty founded the first Senior Citizen’s Group when her mother moved to Hurst from Florida.  She was a member of a bridge group that met weekly for over 45 years, with many of the original players participating all that time.  She also taught hundreds of local children free swimming lessons at the Stonegate pool in Bedford.  She and Donald were members of St. Vincent’s Episcopal Church, and later, St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church.

Betty loved to keep busy.  She was an avid swimmer, square dancer, and volunteer.  She loved to camp and to travel, and she and Donald made trips all over the world in their time together.  Her greatest love was her family. She was a generous and devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She lived a life of fullness, of devotion, of service to others and a deep love for others.  She will be missed.

She is survived by three loving children, daughter Donna Ashford (Mark) of Arlington, Texas and their children-Stephen Ashford, Kristina Richardson (Luke) and Daryl Ashford (Melissa); daughter Karen Osborne (David) of Woodstock, Georgia and their children-Courtney Muller (Lance), and Jeremy Osborne (Autumn); and son Bill Schoenberger (Janet) of Springtown, Texas and their children-son Matthew Schoenberger (Angela), daughter Gretchen Croker (Chad), son Jordan Schoenberger, and daughter Nichole Warren (fiancé Christian McConnell).  Betty is also survived by 14 great grandchildren. 

A graveside service will be held for family members at Bluebonnet Hills Cemetery, where she will be reunited with her beloved Donald.