Betty Firestone

Betty Joan Bailey Firestone, age 87, of Kearney, Missouri, formerly of Colby, Kansas, passed away Sunday, July 25, 2021, at Oak Pointe Senior Living.

Betty was born January 10th, 1934, in Iowa City, Iowa and grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, Harrisonville, Missouri and Butler, Missouri. She attended college at Central Missouri State from 1952-1954 before moving to Kansas City, Missouri where she worked at Katy Drug Store. She then attended St. Luke’s School of Nursing from 1955 to 1956.

Betty was united in marriage to Jim Firestone in March of 1956, in Butler, Missouri.

In 1957, the couple moved to Kansas City where Betty worked at Hallmark Cards. Jim and Betty moved to Sedalia, Missouri before finally settling in Colby, Kansas, in September of 1966, where they made their home and raised their family for the next forty plus years.

In Colby, Betty worked for Montgomery Wards, J.C. Penney’s, Colby Bowl and spent ten years at Palace Drug Store. During their time in Colby, Jim and Betty owned and operated the Coast to Coast Hardware store in downtown, where they proudly served their community.

Betty attended the First Presbyterian Church in Colby. Betty and Jim were huge supporters of the Colby Community College Women’s basketball program, Colby High School sports, and the St. Louis Cardinals. She volunteered as a Pink Lady at Citizen’s Medical Center and assisted in numerous community events and fundraisers.

Betty enjoyed cooking, reading, listening to music, watching all kinds of sports and spending time with family, especially her grandchildren.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Jim Firestone. She is survived by her sister, Barbara (John) Fuller of Mesa, Arizona; children, Lealand (Crystal) Firestone of Wichita, Lisa (Bob) Brown of Kearney, Missouri, and Lorie (Sal Montalto) Firestone of Phoenix, Arizona; Grandchildren Jory (Katie) Firestone of Alexandria, Virginia, Talia (Jonathan) Patterson of Wichita, Kansas, Bailey (Scott) McCoy of Smithville, Missouri, and Camille (Devon) Kennard of Phoenix, Arizona, nephew Nathaniel Fuller and eight great grandchildren.

A Funeral Service will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 31, 2021, at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby, with burial in Beulah Cemetery, Colby. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions in Betty’s name to the Colby Community College Endowment Foundation, 1255 S. Range, Colby, KS 67701, for the women’s basketball program. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com