Betty Schrein

Betty Gail “Betsy” Schrein passed away at her Levelland home early on the morning of July 9th.  She was 84.

Born August 23rd, 1935 to Arthur and Winona Stewart in Floyd County, she spent most of her developmental years in West Texas, including Olney and Lubbock.  While attending Texas Tech University in the late 1950s, she met her first husband, an Air Force officer named Alan Hendrickson from Arcata in northern California, who was in pilot training at nearby Reese Air Force Base.  They were married in Lubbock on St Valentine’s Day in 1959, and soon moved to Travis Air Force Base near Fairfield, California.  Their first son, Craig, entered the world there on Christmas Day, 1959.  After a year, they received military orders to Japan, to Yokota Air Base near Tokyo.  Their other two sons, David and Gordon, were born at Yokota Air Base during the four years they called Japan ‘home.’

Following a subsequent short 1 ½ years in Camden, South Carolina, near Shaw Air Force Base, Alan received orders to train for and deploy to Vietnam in October 1966.  During this time, Betsy settled near her parents in Levelland with the boys to await his return.  Sadly, just two months short of the end of his year-long deployment, Alan and two crew members were killed in action on August 3, 1967, near Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam.  Betsy raised the three boys as a single Mom, but sadly also lost her son David to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1976, at age 15.

Betsy tried her hand at business in the early 1970s, operating the Wig Wam, a wig and hair styling salon, on the Levelland square.  She also worked for the First United Methodist Church as church secretary, and then for more than 20 years at South Plains College, in the Registrar’s Office, the Library, and the Student Activities Center.

Betsy eventually re-married in 2000 during her golden years, to Bruno Schrein, a Canadian from the Edmonton area, a long-time pilot who flew gliders for 70 years.  They spent their almost 15 years together sharing their time between Texas (in the wintertime) and Canada near Edmonton (in the summertime).  When Bruno passed on in April 2015, Betsy returned to Levelland full-time.

Betsy was a faithful member for many years of Levelland’s First Baptist Church, until home-bound, contributing many volunteer hours in the church’s library and media center.  After losing her mobility, she continued to faithfully watch Christian television at home (usually very loudly!) until the time of her death.

Her remains are to be cremated and she will later be interred in Floydada, her birthplace.

Betty was preceded in death by her first husband, Captain Alan E. Hendrickson, and their middle son, David.  Her mother and father, Winona and Arthur Stewart, also preceded her.  Finally, her second husband, Bruno O.W. Schrein, preceded her.  She is survived by her oldest son, Craig of Levelland, youngest son Gordon of Alexandria, Virginia, and her younger brother and sister-in-law, George and Sandra Stewart of the Sisterdale, Texas, area.  She is also survived by three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.  She is finally safe in the arms of our loving Lord enjoying her well-deserved peaceful rest.

Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of the professionals at Krestrtidge Funeral Home.  (806) 897-1111