Betty Jane Snapp Kasten was the last surviving child of former McKinney Mayor John Henry Snapp and his wife, Lillian May (Gallop) Snapp. She was born in Plano, Texas on December 31, 1925 and entered the eternal presence of her Lord and Savior February 15, 2020.
Betty’s family moved from Plano to McKinney when she was two years old. She enjoyed a busy childhood with her older sisters and younger brothers and fondly remembered family travels to see relatives in Tennessee, who – with her – were descendants of a legacy reaching back to Virginia and the first decade after the Jamestown settlement. Betty enjoyed vacations as grand as an auto trip to New York City and treasured the time when she was the only child to accompany her father on a business trip to South Texas. Betty attended McKinney Public Schools and graduated from McKinney High School, where she was a member of the Band, Choral Club, and Curtain Club. Betty attended Baylor University and North Texas State, but her college aspirations were interrupted after she met a handsome young GI named Allen Kasten. Allen and Betty were married May 2, 1945 in McKinney, and immediately embarked on a marriage lasting forty-two years.
While Allen worked at the VA in McKinney and later in Dallas, Betty was a busy homemaker raising two daughters and working part time at the Federal Farm Bureau. She inherited her father’s bent for political involvement by participating on election nights for U.S. Representative Ray Roberts. Betty was an enthusiastic school volunteer and served as PTA president at West Ward Elementary School, now known as Nell Burks Elementary School.
Betty was always involved in the lives of her family and especially her four grandchildren and one great grandson; they loved “Grandmother” teaching them songs and hymns with piano accompaniment. After Allen’s death in 1997, she remained active in the life of her community, playing golf at Hurricane Creek Country Club and cards and games with life-long friends. Betty continued to care for her house and garden until she was in her nineties. Our family will always remember when local policemen saw “Miss Betty” – as she became known – mowing the lawn and stopped to give her a hand, an event that was memorialized by McKinney’s Finest on social media!
A faithful Christian, Betty was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church in McKinney. She was the superintendent of the Younger Children Department and regularly attended worship and Sunday school until a few weeks before her passing.
In addition to her husband and parents, Betty was preceded in death by siblings, Polly Roper, Orlena Dollahite, Johnnie Mae Kelly, Alice Younger, Joe Snapp, and David Snapp.
She is survived by daughters, Rebecca Bartelme and Kay Anderson (Allan); grandchildren, Chad Bartelme, Carrie Bartelme, Ashley Shead, and Scott Anderson (Lisa); great-grandson; Sebastian Shead; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Please join us at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013 as we send her Home with a celebration of the gift of her life. A reception is to follow at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home for those in attendance. A private family inurnment will be held at Ridgeview Memorial Park.
Memorial contributions in Betty’s honor may be made to First Baptist Church, 1615 West Louisiana Street, McKinney TX 75069; Attention: Senior Adult Ministry.