Betty Clay

Betty Jean (Beach) Clay, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, returned to the glorious place from which she came on August 7th, 2015. She was 46 years old. Betty was born to her parents, Junior Frank Beach, Sr. and Lorraine Genevieve (Dietlein) Beach, on July 8th, 1969 in Bay City MI, the youngest of seven children. She attended John Glenn High School until 1985, when she moved with her parents to Alger MI and then attended Whittemore-Prescott High School. She was married in 1987 and had two sons, Daniel Lee Blake, Jr. (1987) and Eric Lee Blake (1989). Later, she was divorced and married Dennis Leonard Clay on May 17th, 1991 and had a daughter, Ashley Nicole Clay (1991) and a son, Aaron Steven Clay (1994). Betty, her husband, and children moved several times throughout her husband’s military career, living in Oscoda MI, Colorado Springs CO, O’Fallon IL, and Argyle MN before settling with her husband in his hometown area of Webster WI. Betty loved her entire family deeply and devotedly. She took great pride in her children’s accomplishments, and treasured her grandchildren immensely. She cherished her opportunities to return to Michigan and visit with her brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. Betty enjoyed nature and the outdoors, fondly remembering time spent hiking, fishing, and berry picking at the cabin in her youth as well as her vacation property in northwestern Minnesota and her brother’s cabin in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She loved traveling and sightseeing, particularly her trips to Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, and Washington State. Betty was a selfless, dedicated worker in every job she held, from running her own home daycare business to managing a public school’s school-aged child care program to food and beverage service to serving as assistant manager for a local retail store, often being recognized as a “model employee.” She loved meeting new people and chatting with friends, leaving lasting impressions with everyone she met. Betty was preceded in death by her father Junior, her mother Lorraine, her brother Art, and her brother Jerry (Nancy). She is survived by her husband, Dennis; her daughter Ashley (Andy); her sons Daniel, Eric (Ashley), and Aaron (Katie); grandsons Caleb (Ashley), Kaden and Daniel III (Daniel); granddaughter Alyra Jean (Aaron); her sisters Judy (Beach) Wheeler (Dale) and Cindy (Beach) Scott (Roger); her brothers Bruce Beach (Kathy) and Bo Beach; her father- and mother-in-law Leonard and Dorothy Clay; brother-in-law Steve Clay; sister-in-law Susanne (Clay) Stone (Graydon); nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends of the family. A Memorial Visitation for Betty Jean Clay will be held between 5:00 and 7:00 pm, Thursday evening, August 13, 2015, at Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Webster, WI. Online condolences may be expressed at www.swedberg-taylor.com.