Bobbie Lee Bechtel
January 17, 2019
Life Sketch for Bobbie Bechtel
Bobbie Lee Bechtel, 95, passed away at
her home in Newton on Thursday, January 17th, 2019.
Bobbie was born on January 9th, 1924 in
Viola, Arkansas to George and Amy LeVicie (Chadwick) Spurlock.
Bobbie married Norman W. Bechtel on
June 27th, 1948 in Wichita, Kansas. They were married for fifty-seven
years until his death in 2005.
Bobbie grew up in the northern Arkansas
and southern Missouri Ozarks during the Depression. At age one, her
mother passed away, leaving her father to raise Bobbie, her brother
David (age six) and sister Lois (age ten). They were a close-knit and
loving family, but times were hard as George’s sharecropping work
constantly uprooted the family. Bobbie found childhood fun through
athletic activity, playing baseball and softball while attending a
series of one-room school houses. Following the death of her older
sister Lois, Bobbie at age ten took over the household management and
she quickly learned to cook and bake on the old wood stove. In 1941,
when she was seventeen, her father passed away and Bobbie worked
hoeing and picking cotton and as a nanny to survive during this
difficult time. Bobbie’s older brother David joined the Army Air
Corps and soon shipped out to the European theatre. After receiving
vocational training as a machinist, Bobbie moved to Wichita alone in
1943 to start a new life and career working in the aircraft plants
supporting the war effort. She initially worked for Cessna, and later
also for Boeing building B-29 Superfortress bombers, riveting and
installing the self-sealing fuel bladders in the wings. In 2016,
Bobbie toured the restored B-29 “Doc” and inspected some rivet
work. Always a stickler for quality, she commented, “Those rivets
might have been OK for some people but they wouldn’t have been my
work.”
Bobbie was an independent lady, a
compassionate caregiver for her father and husband, and a very
friendly and gregarious person. She attended First Mennonite Brethren
Church in Wichita for many years where she enjoyed serving in the
Wednesday evening meal ministry. Bobbie enjoyed waterskiing, camping,
and playing tennis with Norman. Following Norman’s death, she moved
to Newton, KS where she attended Meridian Baptist Church. She enjoyed
eating out and drinking coffee with friends but most of all she loved
being with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a
tremendous cook and enjoyed hosting family gatherings. She regularly
whipped up big family dinners into her nineties, including homemade
ham loaf, zwieback and the best cherry pie anywhere.
She is survived by her daughter: Sherry
Clark (Spencer); grandchildren: Evan (Julie) Clark, Adrian (Abigail)
Clark, and Tristan Clark; and four great-grandchildren (Darcey,
James, William, and Carmen). She was preceded in death by her
husband: Norman W. Bechtel; parents: George and Amy LeVicie Spurlock;
siblings: Alfred, Mary, David, and Lois Spurlock.
A public visitation will be from 5:00
to 9:00 p.m., Monday, January 21st at Petersen Funeral Home. A
graveside committal will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 22nd
at the Halstead City Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at
3:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019 at Meridian Baptist Church in
Newton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may
be made at petersenfamilyfuneralhome.com. Donations will support of
the mission work of Holly and Grady Nace with Mission Aviation
Fellowship.
