Betty Neill

Betty Barton Neill, 82, passed away at her home in Temple on Thursday, February 20, 2014. There will be a memorial service honoring Bettys life at HarperTalasek Funeral Home, 500 West Barton, Temple, Texas, on Thursday, March 6th at 2:30 P.M.

Betty was born in San Angelo, Texas, on September 25, 1931 to Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Barton and she was buried Monday, February 24, 2014 in the Fairmount Cemetery there. She married Ed Neill on September 8, 1951, who survives her. Other survivors are: son Gary Barton Neill and wife Connie of San Antonio grandson Charles Barton Neill and wife Summer of South Carolina grandson Patrick Ryan Neill of San Antonio Stepgranddaughter Nadia and husband John McLeese of Waldorf, Maryland and four greatgrandchildren: J.P., Tyler and Marybelle McLeese and Annabelle Grace Neill.

Betty lived a lifetime of unselfish service to her communities. She taught Sunday school for 19 years in San Angelo and another 13 years after moving to Temple. She served as local unit President of PTA and represented the region on the State PTA Board from 19641966. During this time she was elected to presidency of Church Women of Temple. In 1967, she determined that there was a need in Bell County for juvenile offenders to be separated from adult offenders. Betty attended County Commissioners meetings, addressed the need, and offered to paint two designated cells one for boys, one for girls if the county would address the issue. Betty prevailed. She served on CTCOGs Criminal Justice Advisory Board for 35 years.

As leader, Betty conducted a survey through the Church Women of Temple and the Central Texas Council of Governments to document the needs of children and youth in the Bell County area. She served on the Founding Board of Kinsolving Canyon Lodge for atrisk children. She served on the Founding Board of REACH, a child care nonprofit program for low income families, and served on that Board until the local MHMR assumed its operation.

In 1970, she founded the Central Texas Youth Services Bureau, Inc., a nonprofit that today serves over 5,000 Bell County young people per year. That same year, she was also one of five volunteers that formed a child care council and, with the help of 32 members, led Temple Coordinated Child Care Council, Inc. to be officially recognized by the Federal Office of Child Development. Today, the organization is Central Texas 4C, Inc. and serves between 650700 low income children aged 05 through child care and Federal Head Start programs in Temple, Belton, Killeen and Copperas Cove. She was still active on the Board of Directors at the time of her death.

From 1974 until her death, she served on the Founding Board of Trustees for Child Help, Inc. and in 1989, Betty organized the first CRCG Community Resource Coordination Group before the Governors mandate for those services because she had often taken a child from one agency to another to get helpa method that was time consuming and put a lot of mileage on the family vehicle She understood that the service agencies needed to sit at the same table and work together for deserving families.

With her husband, Betty enjoyed membership in the Central Texas Area Model Railroaders nonprofit organization where she served as Treasurer for ten years.

In 2003, Betty Neill was honored by the Texas Governor with the Lone Star Volunteer Award as the top volunteer in the State of Texas. At that time, a conservative estimate of the young lives that Betty had touched in a positive way was 300,000. And Central Texas 4C, Inc. named its highest award, the Betty Neill Award of Excellence, in her honor. Well done, good and faithful servant.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Central Texas 4C, Inc., Central Texas Youth Services Bureau, andor Child Help, Inc.