Betty Ruth Melgren

Betty Ruth (Norman) Melgren was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 26, 1931 to Justin and Elsie Norman. She was the second of three girls and grew up close to her sisters, Janet and Arlene. After high school, Betty attended North Park College graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Christian education. There she met her husband, Homer Melgren. They were married in Chicago on August 15, 1953. In 1956, after Homer finished seminary, they moved to Seattle to pastor Lake City Covenant Church. In 1959, they felt God calling them to missions, and moved back to Chicago to prepare for their next steps. Two years later, they left for Taiwan. While living in Taiwan for twelve years, Betty worked alongside her husband planting churches, organizing drive-way Sunday school, learning Mandarin, and forming community with local families, all while raising her five children. In 1973, they moved back to Homer’s family farm near Osage City, where Betty worked as a bookkeeper and later started and directed Sunshine daycare. She was heavily involved in the Stotler/Community Covenant Church and the Osage City community where she helped lead youth group and started a women’s Bible study who met in her home weekly for twenty-five years up until this summer. She was a member of the Marshall club. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Betty was committed to her faith and her family. She was an inspiration and an example of humility and compassion to all who knew her. She will be remembered for her kindness, quick wit, generosity, spunk, and most importantly her love for the Lord. Betty went to be with her Savior on September 4, 2020. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Homer, and her older sister, Janet. She is survived by her sister Arlene Norman, and children: Richard and Susanne Melgren, Daniel and Kaye Melgren, Steven and Linda Melgren, Nancy and Layne Reusser, and Jim and Glenda Melgren, her fourteen grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.Memorials have been established for Covenant World Missions and Community Covenant Church youth ministries. (334 N. Topeka Ave., Osage City, KS 66523)