Betty Jean Huffman

Our dear sweet mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Betty Jean (Seyfred) Huffman, passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 16 at the age of 94, at Creekside Village in Granger.

Betty was born on July 24, 1929, in Galien, Michigan where she grew up on her father’s farm. After high school, she attended business school in South Bend.  (And has kept her typewriter after all these years which we moved many times!)  She met Jack Huffman and they were married in Galien in 1950.

Surviving are daughters, Kathy Lynn Huffman, South Bend and Patricia Ann Parks (Patrick), Granger; son, Bruce Edward Huffman (Elaine), South Bend; four grandchildren: Tadd Parks (Aubrey), Brett Parks (Dacia), Heather Reed (Robert) and Michael Huffman; six great-grandchildren: Kylynn Rokop, McKenzie Parks, Carter Parks, Ellie Parks, Kash Parks, JoJo Reed; two step-great grandchildren, Lynnyah Reed and Robert Reed; and a niece, Lynelle Stunkard of Bowie, Maryland.

Preceding her in death are her parents, George and Bertha (Morley ) Seyfred; husband, Jack Huffman who passed away at age 56 in 1986; sister, Leona Stunkard (Clayton); brother, Everett Seyfred; nephews, Jeffrey Stunkard and Danny Seyfred; as well as sister-in-law and dear friend, Lois (Huffman) Kollar, who she travelled with often to Las Vegas and Hawaii to see sister-in-law Sandi (Huffman) Sherry.  (Photos of her in Vegas with male dancers were found when moving her just before her 90th birthday.)

Betty and Jack lived in Three Oaks, Michigan for the first years of marriage where Betty worked at the Harness Chair Company.  They then relocated to South Bend in 1964 where she worked at Inland Chemical before her job in the payroll department at IUSB for many years where she retired at the age of 72 in 2001.  She enjoyed her job there, and she made many good friends who she continued to keep in touch with after her retirement.  She especially liked to meet this group for lunch at Allie’s Café, once a month, where they caught up on news and shared what was going on in their lives.

Betty loved and still missed her cats, Sugar and Spice, who both passed away at the age of 20.  She enjoyed going to the casino, playing cards with the family, going to garage sales, watching “Big Brother” and “Dancing with the Stars.”  For the past 3 years, she lived with her daughter, Patty and son-in-law Pat, who took good care of her.  While there, she enjoyed spending time with her kids, grands and greats.  Four generations were all able to celebrate her recent 94th birthday in July at Creekside.

Although Betty was not known for being very outspoken, it will be her quiet demeanor, positive attitude, agreeable nature (except for flashes of that Seyfred temper!), quick smile and good hugs that will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, August 23 from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, with the service at 12:30PM, at the McGann Hay, Granger Chapel, 13260 IN-23, Granger, IN 46530, enter off Cherry Rd. Burial will follow at the Galien Cemetery.

Donations can be made to Resale to the Rescue, Inc in Mishawaka, IN (a not-for-profit resale store that financially assists local animal welfare organizations.)