Betty Crittenden

Betty Crittenden, 86, of Afton died Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, at her home west of Afton. A celebration of life funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, at Powers Funeral Home in Afton. Rev. Jim Morris will officiate the service. Social distancing will be observed and masks are highly recommended. The service will be viewable via livestream on the Powers Funeral Home Creston/Afton Facebook Page. Burial will be in the Greenlawn Cemetery east of Afton. Open visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. with family receiving friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Powers Funeral Home in Afton. In lieu of flowers, memorials are kindly suggested to the family for later designation.  Online condolences can be given at www.powersfh.com.

Betty Ellen (Nissen) Crittenden, the youngest of four daughters to Elmer Nissen and Nora (Larson) Nissen, was born May 3, 1934, on a farm in Union County. Betty attended school in Afton and graduated from Afton High School with the class of 1951.

Following graduation, Betty worked as a secretary for The Good Year Tire and Rubber Company in Des Moines from 1951 to 1954.

On June 25, 1954, Betty was united in marriage to William P. Crittenden at the Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. To this union, two sons were born, Jack in 1955 and Steven in 1958.

While Bill was stationed in Fort Worth during his service with the U.S. Air Force, Betty worked as a secretary for an oil company and later at the Fort Worth Army Depot. In December 1956, Bill was honorably discharged from the Air Force after four years and they moved the family back to Afton where they started a 38-year long career in farming.

Betty helped Bill on the farm while also working as a secretary for the Methodist Church in Afton and later for the ASCS office in Creston. In 1985 Betty began to slowly develop Multiple Sclerosis. Bill and Betty retired from farming and moved to their new home west of Afton in 1994.

Betty was a member of the Afton Methodist Church where she taught Sunday school and helped with Bible school. Betty was also involved in 4-H leadership, Elks and a star member of the Masonic Women’s Club.

Betty is survived by her husband of 66 years, Bill of Afton; two sons, Jack (Cecy) Crittenden of Phoenix, Arizona and Steve Crittenden of Afton; granddaughter Kayli Crittenden (fiancé Blake Lacina) of Creston; grandson Chad (Brenda) Mahan of Creston; great-granddaughters, Kendra and Josie Mahan; along with many nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Marjorie Selim, Mary Ann Tolosko, Shirley Wilgus and grandson Eric Crittenden.