Bethney A Laird

A Celebration of Life Service for Beth A. Laird will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the St. John's Lutheran Church in Wilcox, Nebraska with Reverend Melvin Mertens officiating.  A family inurnment will be held in the St. John's Lutheran Cemetery at Wilcox, prior to the services.

Bethney Ann Laird (nee McGlone) passed away peacefully at home in Wilcox, NE, on December 29th, lovingly surrounded by her husband and children.

Beth was born October 7, 1942 in Flint, Michigan to Bruce and Martha Irene (VanHorn) McGlone, and finished her education at East Lansing High School.  As a young girl, she was passionate about and studied all forms of dance, and competed beautifully in many dance contests and recitals. This love continued into her adult life, leading her to open her own dance studio in Sutton, Nebraska, where she shared her passion with her students.

Beth was equally passionate about her family.  She married John C. Laird in Holt, Michigan in 1958 at the Methodist Church.  They spent 56 happy and adventuresome years together, and were blessed with three children:  John Jr., Lisa, and Steven, all of whom she was enormously proud of.

She also had an entrepreneurial spirit, developing the first on-line spice shop back in the 1980s, and later operating a successful bed and breakfast at their ranch in West Texas.

Beth enjoyed all forms of art, and collected paintings from well-known Nebraska artists.  She was also an avid and voracious reader, and her collection of books exceeded 2000 volumes.  She regularly shared that love of reading by donating books to the Wilcox Community Library upon her move to Nebraska.

She was a life member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter #1, Coldwater, Michigan, the oldest continuous chapter in the United States.  Beth was also active in the Jobs Daughters and Rainbow Girls.

Knitting was another passion, and Beth used that passion to help others by forming the "Prayer Shawl Ministry" at St. John's Lutheran Church in Wilcox.  Her faith was a huge part of her life, and she treasured her involvement at church and her church family at St. Johns.  In the winter months, while she and John escaped the Nebraska cold, she was active in Trinity Lutheran Church in Blanco, TX.

Beth loved to travel, and had the opportunity to visit all parts of the globe, but her favorite times were at home with her family.  Summer evenings around the fire pit, sharing laughter and fellowship, were her joy.  She was a devoted mother and grandmother, a loyal and loving aunt to her nieces and nephews and had a special place in her heart for her dogs, who were her companions.  She was the true family Matriarch, and she will be sorely missed, but joyously remembered, by all who had the pleasure of knowing and loving her.

Beth is preceded in death by her parents, Martha and Bruce McGlone, and her sister, Betty Jo McGlone.  She is survived by her husband, John C. Laird, Sr. of Wilcox; her three children:  John C. Laird, Jr. (Judy) of Hastings, NE, Steven Bruce Laird of Wilcox, and Lisa Laird Murphy of Austin, Texas; 11 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren, as well as her sister, Helen McGlone of Alma, Michigan.  Her niece and nephew-in-law, Amy and Lars Hansen of Tempe, AZ are also left to cherish her memory, and the wonderful times they had with her.

There will be no visitation.

A memorial has been established in Beth's honor and kindly suggested to the Prayer Shawl Ministry at the St. John's Lutheran Church in Wilcox.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Wilcox is honored to be assisting the family with the arrangements.