Obituary of Betty Burney McDaniel

Betty McDaniel was born December 17, 1923 in Jacksonville, Florida and passed away December 3, 2016 at Houston House in Houston, Missouri. She was delivered to an orphanage in Jacksonville after her birth, never knowing her birth parents. At the age of 2 she was adopted to Bion and Ida Ruth Cockburn, who lived in Winter Haven, Florida where she was raised and had a very exciting life that she has told many stories of. At the age of 20, Betty met a soldier in Winter Haven, Florida at the USO and was married October 31, 1944 to Robert McDaniel. They lived in Dayton, Ohio where their first daughter, Betty Ruth, was born July 31, 1945. When the war was over in 1945 they moved to Melrose, Arkansas. On October 31, 1946 their second daughter, Jessie Marie, was born in Batesville, Arkansas, then December 21, 1947 their third daughter, Roberta Darlene was born – they always said that she was supposed to be their boy and was going to be named Robert after Dad, but she surprised them as a girl and they simply added an A to her name. Betty and Bob and their girls moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1953 where their fourth daughter, Linda Carol was born September 18, 1954. Betty loved playing the piano and accordion, she was a fabulous cook. Robert always said that she reeled him in with her cooking. She was very artistic and loved working with her plants and flowers. She was very artistic in her yard work, yes she had a very green thumb. In 1982 they moved to Licking, Missouri where they made many friends. Betty and Bob were members of the American Legion and VFW in Licking. She loved helping people and was always willing to lend a helping hand where ever needed. She had a very deep faith in the Lord and was baptized and gave her life to God in the early 60’s for a lot of years she was the church piano player and loved it. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Robert McDaniel January 15, 2000and her sons-in-law, Curley Counts and Don Coker. Survivors include four daughters, Ruth Sirna and husband, Pete of Spring Hill, Florida, Jessie Worthey and her husband, John of St. Louis, Missouri, Roberta Counts of Licking, Missouri and Linda Coker of Hillsboro, Missouri; grandchildren, Robert Lauer, Michael Lauer, Richard Lantrip, Sandy Whitehead, Sue Ann Holman, Rebecca Bryson, Tammy How, May Hicks, Kimberly Crader, Michelle Sample, Sherri Flynn, Danny Flynn and Chrissy Kinney; 23 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren as well as many nieces, nephews and friends who will miss her very much.