Shawnee.
Bette (Speers) Rowlett passed away on Jan. 21, 2023. Bette attended St. Benedicts Catholic School and graduated Class of 1949. Stories of her days growing up on the Junk Family farm and riding a horse to school are favorites among her 30 grand, great, and great-greatgrandchildren.
While in school, Bette worked at the local drugstore as a “Soda Jerk”. Later, she became a switchboard operator at the historic Aldridge Hotel in Shawnee where she met her husband John T. Rowlett.
In 1958 Bette, John, and their daughter, Sally, packed up their car and drove the ALCAN Highway to Fairbanks, AK to work in the oil industry. Bette assisted John with land leases for oil companies, and then worked for Alyeska Pipeline in the 70’s.
Bette is survived by her son, Anthony of Fairfax, VA and daughter, Julia of Puyallup, WA; grandchildren, Jennifer, Jill, Christina and John of Fairbanks, AK, Jacob of Centralia, WA, and Harrison, Hannah, Hamilton, and Hunter of Puyallup, WA. She has numerous great- and great-greatgrandchildren. Bette is survived by her sisters, Mary Card of Colman, MI and Patsy Taylor of Shawnee, OK.
Bette was preceded in death by her husband, John and daughter, Sally, and brothers, Ted, John, and Richard Speers of Shawnee, OK.
A graveside ceremony for Bette will be held on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Calvary Cemetery in Shawnee.
