In loving memory of
Betty Darling Harvey
July 31, 1929 - November 8, 2020
Mrs. Betty Darling Harvey age 91 of Muskegon, Michigan died peacefully Sunday, November 8, 2020 at Mission Point of Lamont Nursing and Rehab Center in Lamont, Michigan. She was born July 31, 1929 in Hulbert, Michigan to Joseph and Lily (McDowell) Sissell. She married Grahl Edward Harvey on April 24, 1948 in Greenup, Kentucky.
Betty is survived by one daughter, Mary Lou (Daniel) Senf of Grand Chute, WI and Gary (Susan) Harvey of Marne, Michigan. Her grandchildren: Eric (Barbara) Senf of Georgetown, Texas; Kerry O'Brien of Appleton, WI; Kathleen (Eric) Moreno of Rockwall, TX; Julie (Paul) Roth of Chicago, Il; Mike (Carissa) Harvey of Brohman, MI; and Kristen Harvey of St. Petersburg, FL; five great-children and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Grahl in 2017, one brother and six sisters: Edward (Irene) Sissell, Irma (Rufus) Adkins, Iva (Lloyd) Latsch, Violet (Shirley) Dunham, Olive (John) Latsch, Nora (Tom) Simpkins, and Lora (Carroll) Young.
Betty Darling Sissell was how her name appeared on her birth certificate. She used Betty Darlene Sissel stating that her middle name had been spelled wrong on her birth certificate and had never been corrected. It is unknown as to why she used the spelling of Sissell as Sissel.
Born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan she moved to the Lower Peninsula where she met her soon-to-be husband, Grahl Harvey while they were both working at Norge Corporation in Musekgon Heights, MI. Betty and Grahl along with her sister Lora and Carroll Young eloped and were married in a double wedding ceremony in Greenup, Kentucky. Betty spent her married life living in Muskegon, Mi.
As an avid homemaker, Betty enjoyed cooking, baking, and preserving foods. Everyone especially enjoyed her pies. She devoted a lot of her time sewing and making many of her own clothes and clothes for her daughter along with household items such as curtains and bedspreads. She often worked from home taking in custom sewing projects for other people. She was a licensed hairdresser and managed a hair salon in Grand Haven, Michigan over a period of time. She also worked for a few years outside the home altering men's suits and pants at a local department store.
She enjoyed many types of music, especially old-time gospel and country western music. She loved to dance, and persuaded Grahl to attend ballroom dance lessons with her and they'd go out dancing--whether it be the waltz, fox trot, the swing, Texas two-stepping, polka, or just a good old-fashioned square dance. In her later years as her memory was fading and she'd hear an old familiar tune, she could recall the words and sing along while tapping her toes to the beat. Once the words no longer freely flowed, the old tunes would still light up her eyes and bring a beaming smile on her face as she attempted to sing along to those old familiar tunes.
She was full of life, love, and fun--she will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Arrangements are being made by Clock Funeral Home, but because of restrictions due to COVID-19 a memorial service will be scheduled at a later time. Interment will be in Sunrise Memorial Gardens, Muskegon, Michigan. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a
memory or sign the online guestbook.