Born Betty Jane Hickam to Elvie Hickam Sr, & Janet Hickam (Dixon), on October 18th 1937, she was the youngest of four children. Her three older brothers, Elivie Hickam Jr. "Sonny" (Margaret) USMC, Edward Hickam "Gene" (Edith) US Navy, & William Hickam "Billy", gave her trouble growing up as older brothers will do. But they were also protective of their baby sister at the same time.

Betty spent part of her childhood in New York & part in Missouri. She began working hard at the Velvet Freeze icecream shop in her youth. She attended Normandy High School & was a proud alumni. She then followed in her brother's footsteps & served her country by joining the United States Marine Corps. She was a proud American & supporter of several veteran charities.

She devoted 38 years to the Best Western Hotel in Woodson Terrace (also known as the Rodeway Inn & St.Louis Airport Inn), as a dedicated concierge, front desk cashier, reservationist, & meeting coordinator. She enjoyed getting to meet people, & was adored by guests & staff alike.

Loving mother of five to Jean Kibler, Janet Feemster, James Feemster J.R. (Cornelia), Jackie Feemster, & Jennefer Ruebel (Tommy). Dearly devoted grandmother to Linda & Chris Fichtinger, LeeAnn Feemster, Shawna Humpreys, Hannah Humphreys, Tyler Humphreys, Aimee Dyer, and Crystal & Benjamin Gulledge. Proud great-grandmother of Jaxon, Nadia, Kylee, William, Davina, & Delilah. Dear niece, cousin, pen pal & friend to many.

Betty always loved a nice hot cup of black coffee, & enjoyed listening to sports on the radio. She was an avid reader. She enjoyed walking, especially around the corner from her St. Ann home to the local library & fresh fruit stand. She was a big fan of mystery books & shows, Tom Selleck, & Snoopy. She always tried to help others whenever she could. She was a caretaker to many, & had a special place in her heart for children & animals. She enjoyed gardening & always had beautiful flowers & tomato plants. She enjoyed spending holidays with her loved ones, & made such delicious meals. Every get together she hosted included a full spread of mouth watering desserts.

Though she faced many challenges in her life, she kept a strong faith in God through everything. One of her favorite things at her church was the annual candlelight Christmas service. She much enjoyed her letters written from her friend Sandy Cargil of the United Methodist Church/ Harmony Church. She always encouraged people to keep going, because you never know what blessings God has around the corner for you.

In her later years, she never lost her love of music. She would lead her friends at the Arbors in stretching, exercising, and dance. A little Frank Sinatra simply made her day, & she was always the life of the dance party. She had such a spunk, sense of humor, & love for Jesus. She enjoyed church service, & would often say "God Bless" before she kissed & hugged you goodnight & started in on her bedtime prayers. Even during her times in the hospital, she brought smiles and laughs to the staff, & always kept them on their toes. She loved being outside & was a woman who's zest for life was contagious. She always remembered what was most important in life, & passed those morals & wisdom onto others. At 80 years old, she danced her way through the Walk to End Alzheimer's, & did so with the utmost grace. She always looked to do for others, and never asked for anything in return. She possessed both great strength & kindness. Her presence was like no other, for she was a once in a lifetime woman.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, three older brothers, eldest daughter Jean Kibler, son-in-law Jeff Humphreys, as well as many cherished aunts, uncles, cousins, extended relatives, classmates, close friends, fellow parishioners, fellow residents, long-time coworkers, & fellow service men and women. So it is without a doubt that there certainly must have been an overflowing crowd as she danced her way through the pearly gates, all overjoyed to welcome & be reunited with the one & only, Betty Jane Feemster.