Betty Jane Criss

Betty Jane Criss, 86, died Oct. 8, in Wichita, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life will be 10 a.m. Nov. 2 at First Christian Church of El Dorado.

She was born in 1933 in Florence, to Fred and Shirley Hinchman Piper. She attended Florence Schools, graduating in 1951.

She raised her family in Potwin before moving to El Dorado in 1972. She was an entrepreneur and businesswoman.

She supported Butler Community College as a philanthropist and invested much time and energy into many worthy causes including the Grizzlies sports program. She served on the Kansas Water Commission, was an El Dorado City Commissioner from 1999 until 2005, and was instrumental in organizing the Kansas Governor’s One Shot Turkey Shoot.

She provided funding to build the community swimming pool in Florence.

She and her husband owned Lewis and West Concrete Co. in El Dorado and were involved in numerous real estate and land developments including Vintage Place and The Greens. They were part owners of the Prairie Trails Country Club.

Betty loved cooking, traveling and playing bridge with her bridge club. She enjoyed playing dominoes and watching old Westerns.

Her greatest joy was her family which includes her only surviving brother Ernest (Susan) Piper of San Diego, California; and her children, Bill (Becky) Mann of Burns, Tom (Sally) Mann of Duncanville, Texas; stepchildren Sandy Criss-Cooper of Wichita, Bob (Lisa) Criss of Bolingbrook, Illinois, Mike (Leslie) Criss of Huntsville, Alabama, Susan Criss-Carboy of Fairbanks, Alaska; 18 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Ramon; daughter, Molly Mann, nine siblings and her parents.

Memorial contributions in Betty’s name may be directed to the Susan B. Allen Cancer Center.