Betty Marie (O'Bleness) Mathies

Betty Marie O’Bleness Mathies passed away on April 7, 2023, at her home in Levelland, Texas.  Betty was born on March 23, 1943, in Ashland Kansas to Kenneth and Betty (Bowling) O’Bleness.  She grew up in Clark County and graduated from Ashland High School in 1961.  After High School, she attended Emporia State, where she met her first husband, Norman Witte.  They were married June 21, 1964, in Ashland. He died August 31, 1966.

She married Ron Spitler on December 21, 1967, and they had one daughter, Rona.  After their divorce, Betty and Rona lived in Hutchinson, where she was employed at Valley Federal Savings and Loan for many years.

On May 20, 1989, she married Wayne Mathies in Hutchinson.  They lived near Little River until she and Wayne moved to Texas eventually settling in Levelland.  Betty and Wayne lived in the country west of town where they had a cow/calf operation along with their son Aaron; Betty Marie was the CFO and Wayne and Aaron ran the daily operations. They grew large gardens, and a grove of pecan trees as well.  For many years they ran a BBQ catering business and smoked turkeys and hams for holidays.  She loved to can, cook and share the fruits of her labor.  During this time, she enjoyed working for the South Plains Fair in Lubbock each September.  She loved her work there and entering the events herself.  She won various awards for her baking.

Betty Marie was known as “Sugie” to her brother Larry and later to Rona and her grandsons.  She loved to sew, quilt and make handmade cards and gifts for family and friends. She took many classes in quilting and loved meeting the other quilters and learning new skills.  She especially enjoyed annual quilting weekends with her mother, aunts, cousins and friends in Ashland.  She was secretary of the Friendship Circle in Levelland.  A group of women meeting each month to share fellowship with lunches, programs and sometimes fieldtrips.  Mostly just to enjoy each other’s company; Betty Marie was an excellent cook and cooking and quilting were her passions.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents and her first husband.

She is survived by her husband Wayne of Levelland, stepson Aaron Mathies of the home, her daughter Rona Spitler of Sparks, Nevada, grandsons Blake and Jake also of Sparks, Nevada, her brother Larry and wife Helen O’Bleness of Scott City, Kansas. Numerous aunts, nieces, cousins and a host of friends who will miss her dearly.