- Date Of Birth: July 11, 1938
- Date Of Death: December 15, 2021
- State: Iowa
Bethalene Ellen Finestead, 83, passed away Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at home. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 18, at Waukee Christian Church.
Bethalene was born July 11, 1938, in Chariton, Iowa, to Waldo and Eva (Damon) Crandall. She completed her first eight years of education in a one room country school and graduated from Chariton High School in 1957. She worked through the summers as a nurse at the Yocum Hospital in Chariton while attending Iowa State Teachers College (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Ia and graduated with a 2 yr .Elementary Education Degree. She took a break to raise a family, then went back to college. Bethalene received her BS from Drake University in 1975. She taught second grade for one year in Hartford and one year in Madrid, then taught 3rd grade for 20 years at Woodward -Granger.
She married Lowell Alan Finestead on Dec. 27, 1959. To this union were born 4 children, Ramona Church (Randy), Dawnene, Arlan (Elizabeth), Tanya Harrington (Steve). 7 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. Although she was a housewife and mother of 4, teaching children was her passion.
Bethalene completed over 1600 hrs of service as a Mercy Volunteer helping in the flower delivery service, sewing caps & gowns for the premature babies, and fabricating over 100 Christmas gowns for newborns going home. She enjoyed sewing dresses for her children, craft work, square dancing, genealogy, traveling, tutoring, and keeping track of her grandchildren. Her faith in the Lord was strong. She worked in her church serving in many capacities
