Betty Oberg
Hayes – Betty Oberg, 92, has packed her bags for her final trip to glory, joining the Lord and the rest of her family and friends that have made this trip before her on 9 January 2024.
She was born Betty Louise Knarr in Winamac, Indiana on 21 September 1931 to Francis Walter and Anita Lillian (Haag) Knarr. She was the oldest of three children, including her brothers Robert and Edward. Betty graduated from Manchester College in 1954 and obtained her Master’s degree from Ball State University. She started her teaching career in her home town at Winamac High School where she had graduated from in 1949. Betty sponsored the 1960 Winamac High School graduating class.She met David Oberg in Indiana in 1957 (they were a blind date). They married in August of 1960 and Betty moved to Virginia to fill the role of an Army wife until Dave retired from service in 1974 (U.S. Army CWO4). Betty and Dave had one daughter, Cheryl, in 1964, and would remain married for 59 years until Dave’s passing in late 2019. They enjoyed life together to the fullest, not letting any moss grow under their feet. They travelled by trailer or motorhome to both of their Indiana high school reunions each June, repeatedly to other favorite haunts like Minnesota, Atlantic City, Pigeon Forge, Opryland, Dollywood and to too many NASCAR race tracks to count (about 20 races each year, in their heyday). They would be travelling for months at a time, with Betty plotting the sites and stops and navigating their routes and Dave doing the driving. They saw many great sites like the Badlands, the Corn Palace, the SPAM Museum, the Wisconsin Dells and Mount Rushmore in their travels. They made life-long friends wherever they travelled, especially at the NASCAR race tracks and campgrounds.In Virginia, Betty taught Home Economics and was instrumental in the development of an “all-boys” class at Denbigh High School and in the creation of an occupational foods course of study at the vocational-technical school. Her boys in these special classes all called her “Mom” and teased that if anyone acted up, they would end up wrapped and in the freezer. She established the Corner Kitchen also at Denbigh High School selling cookies, cakes and caramel corn each Friday that the students in her classes had made. Betty could feed a crowd without blinking an eye and her Brunswick stew, Jello-salads, apple-dapple cake, spritz cookies, decorated sugar cookies, caramel corn and frosted cinnamon rolls were holiday favorites.Betty and Dave resided in Newport News, Virginia until retiring to Bena, Virginia where they remained for over 35 years. Survivors include daughter Cheryl Oberg (Stephen Nickau), daughter Iva Thomas (Daniel), granddaughter Rachel Thomas, grandson Carl Thomas. Preceding her in death include her parents Francis and Anita (Haag) Knarr, brother Robert Knarr, and brother Edward Knarr.There were many things Betty loved: the Lord, her family, her church, teaching, entertaining others in her home, travelling the United States, birds (especially hummingbirds and cardinals), butterflies, cooking, crafting & sewing, NASCAR racing (on tv and in person) and men’s college basketball (especially the Duke Blue Devils).The family is grateful for the care Betty received in the recent years of her life from The Gloucester House and Riverside Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Betty’s name to Lebanon Christian Church, 421 Yorktown Road, Newport News, Virginia 23603. Visitation will begin at 11:00am at Lebanon Christian Church on Saturday 27 January 2024 with the funeral service immediately following; after which, Betty will be interred at Hampton Memorial Gardens next to her husband of 59 years. Arrangements are being handled by Amory Funeral Home, Grafton.