Mary Olene Vandiver Betts

Mary Olene Vandiver Betts, age 71, passed into eternity on July 29, 2022.





Born in Hopkins County, KY, on February 9, 1951, Olene was the first of four daughters born to



Clifton and Mary Lou Vandiver. Olene was a bright, talented student and graduated as



valedictorian of her class from Union County High School in 1969. In addition, she earned



several awards from the theater, chorus, and education departments and was named Most



Likely to Succeed. When she was a teenager, Olene and her sisters Freda, Rhonda and Kathy



formed a singing group called the Vandiver Sisters and produced an album entitled “Moments



with God” with their uncle, Jack Vandiver, accompanying them on piano. Olene herself was an



avid pianist, especially enjoying playing ragtime tunes by Scott Joplin and many gospel



favorites.





Olene was studying for her teaching degree at Murray State when she put her schooling on hold



in order to get married to William Haven Betts in Sturgis, KY in 1970. Within five years of



marriage, she had given birth to three daughters of her own: a blonde, a brunette and a redhead



who she was proud to accompany on piano in church and singing contests as the Betts Sisters



in the mid-1980s.





Resuming college to pursue a career in nursing, Olene earned her RN license from Park



University in Kansas City in 1989. She worked at several hospitals in Missouri before returning



to Union County in 2002 to be near her parents and other family. Olene remained in Sturgis until



2020 when her oldest daughter Jessica Hodge invited her to move to Fishers, IN to recover



from an injury. Olene decided to settle in Fishers and stayed there until her passing. In Fishers,



she found a loving church home at Fishers Point Community Church and joined as a member



earlier this year. She was also excited to have a new apartment with room to host guests and



new friends for lunch. Olene was devoted to her family and attended events for her



grandchildren whenever she was able.





Olene is preceded in death by her grandparents, Jesse and Justine Vandiver and Rufus and



Bessie Jackson, and her sister Rhonda Brown. She is survived by her parents, Clifton and Mary



Lou Vandiver; her sisters Freda Tilley and Kathy (Dennis) McDaniel, her daughters Jessica



(Riley) Hodge, Leta Rudzik and Amanda Hauck; her grandchildren Lydia (Preston) Tate, Josh



Swisher, Jeremiah Swisher, Susannah Swisher, Bea Rudzik, Min Rudzik, Cameron Hauck and



Savana Hauck; great granddaughter Ellen Tate; and many loving nieces, nephews, aunts,



uncles and cousins.





Public visitation will take place at Beshear Funeral Home in Dawson Springs on Wednesday,



August 3, 2022, at 12:00 pm, with a funeral service at 1:30. Interment will follow at Gilland



Ridge Church Cemetery in St. Charles. A memorial service will also be held at 7:00 p.m.



Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at Fishers Point Community Church in Fishers, Indiana.