- Date Of Birth: September 13, 1930
- Date Of Death: July 27, 2021
- State: Iowa
Betty Clifton, 90, passed away at Methodist West hospital on Tuesday, July 27 in Des Moines, surrounded by family. Born Betty Ann Hawley in Mechanicsville, Iowa, she was the tenth of 12 children of George Logan Hawley and Esther Coay Hawley. She was the sole survivor of her birth family.
In the 1930s the family moved seasonally be¬tween northern Wisconsin and Iowa, before settling in Iowa in the early 1940s. In 1948 she married Douglas Lee Clifton of Cedar Rapids, and after he completed his education at the University of Iowa and received his commission they embarked on a life in the Air Force, producing five children along the way. Over the next twenty years they were stationed in Illinois, Germany (twice), Wisconsin, Washington State, and northern Min¬nesota. During the six years they were stationed in Germany she was able to indulge her passion for travel and saw much of Europe. When Douglas retired from the military in 1970, they moved to Des Moines. Betty enjoyed bowling and she at¬tended tournaments across the country, winning a number of trophies, usually traveling with five of her sisters.
She is survived by her husband, Douglas, of 72 years, and four children: Teri Grirnwood of Washington, DC, Deborah Smith, Brian (Carol Schmidt) Clifton, Anthony (Melissa) Clifton, and one grandson, Michael Smith, all of Des Moines, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her son, Douglas Lee Clifton Jr. He is survived by his step-daughters Mia Weber and Brea Heideman-Maxwell, who were much loved by Betty.
