Betty Leona Kirk, the daughter of Jesse Ford and Rachael (Maness) Patton, was born July 29, 1924, in Rock Port, Missouri. She attended country schools in the Rock Port area, completing 8th grade. On December 20, 1945, Betty was united in marriage to James Campbell “J.C.” Kirk. They became the parents of four children, Joe, Gene, Diane and Jimmie. J.C. passed away in 1999.
Betty and J.C. lived in the Rock Port and Hamburg, Iowa, areas, retiring to Riverton, Iowa. They later moved to the Washington-Park Plaza apartments in Hamburg. Betty had resided at the Ambassador Care Center in Sidney since October of 2014.
Betty loved family dinners, thrift store shopping, bingo, and visiting with her sisters. She was very patriotic, and attended Veteran’s Memorial Day services every year except this year when her health was failing. Her favorite activity at the Ambassador was watching Elvis perform. Betty passed away Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at Grape Community Hospital, Hamburg, at the age of 93. Funeral services for Betty Kirk were held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 7, 2018, at Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port.  Interment followed in Greenhill Cemetery, Rock Port.  Services were conducted by Rev. Rodney Hopper.
In addition to her parents and husband, J.C., Betty was preceded in death by son, Jimmie Dean Kirk, sisters, Bessie Patton, Hattie Mae Chastain, Marie Daugherty and Tressie Hart. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Cecil Lee Smith, who was killed in WWII. Survivors include sons, Joe Kirk and wife, Lana Brandt, Hamburg, Gene Kirk and wife, Joan, Farragut, Iowa; daughter, Dink Hargrave and husband, Gary, St. Joseph, Missouri; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandsons; sisters, Elsie Foster and Rosie McConnell (Hooter); brother, Arley Patton (June); and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hubert Woodward American Legion Post #156, Hamburg, Iowa. Online Obituaries and condolences at www.minterfuneralchapels.com ~ Services were under the direction of Minter Funeral Chapels, Rock Port.