Eris Betty Clayton

Eris Betty Clayton was born at home to Helen Catherine and Herschel Edward Burgard on January 2, 1926, in Schuyler Country. Her childhood was spent following her two older brothers at work and play and attending school. She boarded in Rushville in order to attend Rushville High School. During World War II she entered Washington University at St. Louis, where she graduated with a major in art, and then began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Frederick, IL. On August 28, 1949, she married veteran Gerald Leroy Clayton in Astoria, IL.

Betty’s life revolved around three themes: her family, Sheldon’s Grove Church, and her art. After marriage, for many years she settled into being a farmwife—cooking three major meals a day, gardening, canning and freezing fresh produce, helping with the farmwork, serving as farm accountant—and raising four children: Sandra Lee, Carol Anita, Mark Leroy, and Garth Todd. In between farm and family, Betty squeezed in college classes to obtain her teacher’s certificate and began teaching third grade at Astoria Grade School. Gradually, she achieved one of her dreams and became the art teacher at Astoria schools, pushing around her “art on a cart” to grade school classrooms and providing art classes to high school students. During this time, she propelled her students into painting the lunch room mural at the high school and making sure their work was represented in regional art shows. After twenty years of teaching, she retired; however, she did not give up on her art. She offered private and group art lessons and helped manage the Art Show for Astoria’s annual Homecoming. She tested her entrepreneurial skills, designing and marketing greeting cards and hand-lettering scripture verses.

Woven into her retirement years were also several tragedies. Her youngest son Todd died in 1986. Her husband followed in 2002. Meanwhile, her brothers, Carmen and, more recently, James Othello passed away. Lastly, her youngest grandson Justin died in 2003. Through these times, Betty’s faith never wavered. All her life, Betty was a committed member of Sheldons Grove Church, participating in the many charitable activities up until she moved from her home in Astoria to reside in Peoria, near her oldest daughter Sandra. She will be remembered for her kindness and generosity towards all those she knew, her intense commitment to God, her devotion to her friends and family, and her particularly artistic way of viewing the world around her, drawing and painting peaceful farm scenes, colorful flowers, and beloved faces.

Betty is survived by Sandra Lee Curless of Bartonville, IL, Ben and Molly Curless and great-grandchild Carmeron, and Nate Curless; Carol Anita and Rodger Tarr of Okatie, SC, Clayton Tarr and Bianca Reisdorf; and Mark Leroy and Mary Clayton of West Padukah, KY, Chelsey and Jamie Brown; step-grandchildren Adrienne and Matt Davis and Jared Burget; and step-great-grandchildren Cooper Davis and Jaxon Burget.

Services will be held at 11 am on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Shawgo Memorial Home in Astoria. A visitation will take place on Friday, April 27, 2018 from 6 to 8 pm at the funeral home. Cynthia Helle will be officiating. Interment will be in the Sheldons Grove Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Sheldons Grove United Methodist Church.