Watertown OES Member is Mother of the Year

  Long-time Watertown resident Betty Hanthorn was recently chosen the S.D. Mother of the Year. Hanthorn, a former nurse at the Bartron Clinic, will be installed at 2 p.m, Sunday, March 26, at First United Methodist Church, her sponsoring organization. For more on  Hanthorn's life and her journey to receiving this honor.  (Watertown Public Opinion photo by Hope Richardt-Sylskar)

By Hope Richardt-Sylskar
Watertown Public Opinion Neighbors Editor

When Betty Hanthorn learned in February that she had been chosen as the S.D. Mother of the Year, her reaction was one of disbelief. "I told my daughter Carol that I never thought we would win," she said, attributing her accomplishment to her entire family. "We're just so average."

Average? Those individuals who know Hanthorn would beg to differ. "She's not your average mom," said Hanthorn's youngest daughter Carol Loeschke of Aberdeen. "She's way, way above average. "She has always had her priorities straight and she's a real role model," Loeschke said. "She always put God first, her family second and her work third. And she hasn't received much recognition before and she should have. She always does things for the right reason."

The S.D. Mother of the Year program is part of American Mothers Inc., a group formed in New York in 1933 to focus attention on the contributions of mothers to the home, community, nation and the world. In 1935 the first National Mother of the Year was presented. AMI is recognized by the United States Chamber of Commerce as the official sponsor of Mother's Day and each year promotes the celebration of that day. This year, Hanthorn in April will compete to be National Mother of the Year at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, site of the first contest. All 50 states take part in the Mother of the Year contest. Qualifications to be nominated include, among others, being married and being a mother; being a role model; be an active participant in the community; and being an active member of a religious body.

She also had to include letters of recommendation from people who have known and worked with her. Dr. Stanley Allen was one of those individuals who wrote a letter n her behalf. Hanthorn worked as Allen's office nurse for 22 years. "She was always kind and considerate toward people. She did all of thescheduling of my patients - back then you didn't have a separate appointment desk - and she had direct contact with all of my patients and took very good care of them," Allen said. "She was always very considerate of their needs and was conscientious almost to a fault." Allen included in his letter an incident in 1983 when Hanthorn fell down a flight of stairs backstage at the D. D. Miller Auditorium. She sustained a head injury that robbed her of her hearing in one ear. Allen wrote that Hanthorn didn't allow that situation to defeat her.

Few things, it seems would defeat Hanthorn. A self-described "product of the Depression," Hanthorn grew up on a farm in the Elrod-Henry area. When shewas 10 years old, her father, Frank Hurle, died, and her mother, Maude, a country school teacher, moved the family into Henry. Maude supported the family through teaching and made ends meet in the summer by cooking at Stony Point. Although the family had few material things, Hanthorn gathered a wealth of knowledge about the kindness of the people in her small community. "I remember how good people were to (my mother)," Hanthorn said. "The store owners were very kind. And she always paid her bills. Maybe they weren't always on time, but they got paid." During this time she became active in church activities calling church "my social life. I didn't have family to spend time with and there was no money for other things."

It was also during this time that she learned the importance of education, a lesson instilled by her maternal grandfather, who had allowed his children to graduate from high school, a rarity in the early part of the 1900s. Hanthorn said she can't remember a time when she didn't want to be a nurse. Her aunt had also wanted to be a nurse but her grandfather discouraged it, since the perception of nurses in the 1910s was negative. "Nurses were seen as servants," she said. When she took her nurses training at Bartron Hospital, she first went to Augustana for three months to learn chemistry, microbiology and anatomy.When her grandfather saw that she would receive an education along with her training, he gave his blessing. And while she stresses the importance of education - and took enough classes over the years to be certified as a Physicians Assistant - Hanthorn contends that "we're not all college material. Everyone can be trained to do something, and as long as you're a good worker and contributing to society, then that's all that is can be expected."

Over the years, Hanthorn has been active in Girls and Boys Scouting, Job's Daughters, Eastern Star, First United Methodist Church activities, Town Players, Karing Kapers (formerly Kardiac Kapers) and the Watertown Concert Association. Her heart it seems, lies with those activities geared toward bettering the lives of children. "When I look at Scouts, for example, that's a good organization. It's a youth program that's a good character builder," she said Character building is important to the 75-year-old, who feels that if one works outside the home to repay the community, rewards will in turn be reaped. "I really feel that we will leave the world in a better place if we all work together."

So what does the mother of four and grandmother of seven feel is the best advice she can offer to other moms? "Have a laugh a day," she advised. "But that's not just for mothers, that's for everyone. "Also, you need to accept each child for what they are," Hanthorn said. "Of course we all would love to have geniuses, but if they work up to their ability, then you can't ask for anything more."

PS -Betty is a Past Worthy Matron and her husband Everett a longtime Concord #13 Tyler, York Rite member and active Yelduz Shriner. Betty's also active in the Northeast Shrine Auxiliary.