BETTY MARIE FALLIN died September 23, 2010 at the age of 94 in Oklahoma City after an extended illness. She was surrounded by her son Dr. Joseph P. Fallin Jr., her two grandchildren, Christina Marie Fallin and Joseph Price Fallin III, her sister, Julia Christenson, and her niece, Ann Carruth. She was born on August 27, 1916 in Topeka, Kansas and was the first of four children of Orange Bain and Agnes Eidson. Betty Fallin attended Topeka High School and then later the University of Kansas, where she was selected as homecoming queen.
Betty Fallin met her husband of 39 years Joseph Price Fallin while taking flying lessons from him in Topeka, Kansas. Her sister, Judy, recalls the many prayers she had on the ground while taking her first solo flight. Betty and Joseph moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where they had their only child, Joseph P. Fallin Jr. After a short time, the family moved to Wichita, Kansas, where Betty wrote for the society section of the Wichita Beacon Newspaper. The family then moved to Oklahoma City, where Betty took a job writing for the society section of the Oklahoman.
Betty Fallin was most proud of being a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and served as an editor for the Theta magazine. She also worked numerous years with the Theta Flaming Festival Committee. Betty was also a member of Junior League of Oklahoma City, the Republican Womens Club, and helped with many charities. She donated hundreds of Washburn College Bibles and raised thousands of dollars for the Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts and was honored by Dr. Terry Johnson, President of OCU. Betty Fallin was very active in her Bible study groups at the First Presbyterian Church and All Souls Episcopal Church. Betty was also passionate about travelling and once took her son, Joe and daughter in law, Congresswoman Mary Fallin, and their two children, Christina at age 4, and Price at age 1, to Italy and France loaded with two bags of formula and diapers.
Betty Fallin was very grateful for the care she received from Dr. Louis (Rusty) Cox, Dr. Elwood Williams, and the nurses and staff at the Critical Care Unit of Deaconess Memorial Hospital. She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph Price Fallin. She is survived by her son Joseph P. Fallin Jr, her grandaughter Christina Marie Fallin, her grandson Joseph "Price" Fallin, her sisters Julia Christenson and Sally Walton, and many neices and nephews.
Viewing will be held at Mercer Adams Funeral Home on Sunday, September 26, 2010. Services will be held at All Souls Episcopal Church at 4 pm on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.