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Elizabeth (Betty) S. Gephart, 96, passed away quietly at home on November 17, 2010, on the eve of the 71st wedding anniversary of her marriage to her beloved husband, Kennard W. Gephart (Col. USAF-Ret.) Betty was born March 16, 1914, to Ralph W. and Zella Walser Staver in Bluffton, Indiana, and moved as a child with her family to Clyde, Ohio, where she grew up, studying piano and organ, attending Heidelberg College (Ohio) for short time, playing organ for her church, and working in her parents' variety store until her marriage. A devoted homemaker, she embraced the challenges of military life and its many geographic relocations, including time in Mississippi, Alaska, Georgia, New York, Alabama, and California, until settling in Albuquerque in 1956. In addition to her passion for the pipe organ and classical music generally, she pursued other interests with equal enthusiasm: birdwatching, gourmet cooking, rose gardening, and raising and training dogs - but her greatest joy was family and friends, both near and far. She was an active member of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, where she served as Elder and Deaconess, and was an avid supporter of music programs at the church. Betty is survived by her husband Ken; and daughter Suzanne (Suzi) Dressler and her husband Jim, also of Albuquerque; and numerous nieces and nephews and their extended families. She was preceded in death by her only sister, Martha Jones. A memorial service celebrating the life of Betty Gephart will be held at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3605 Silver Ave. SE, on Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. Cremation has taken place, with the ashes to be interred at Santa Fe National Cemetery at some future time. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor to the Immanuel Presbyterian Church Organ Fund or a charity of your choice.
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