Bettye Shoemaker Gardner

Funeral services for Bettye Shoemaker Gardner, 77, of Monroe, will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, December 20, 2014, at First United Methodist Church with Dr. Lynn Malone officiating. Interment will follow at 4:00 PM at Silver Cross Cemetery in Tallulah, LA, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, Sterlington Road, Monroe.Mrs. Gardner was born on February 17, 1937 in Kilgore, TX. She passed away on December 18, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer.Mrs. Gardner was preceded in death by her husband, Arlen Ray Gardner; her parents, A.T. and Estelle Shoemaker; her brothers, A. T. Shoemaker, Jr., Delbert Shoemaker, Richard Shoemaker, and Larry Shoemaker; her sisters, Kathy Thomson and Mary Jo Hill; and brother-in-law, Bob Thomson.Mrs. Gardner is survived by her daughter, Cheryl Gardner Carr and husband Ronald; granddaughter, Brittany Richardson and husband Jared; brother-in-law, John D. Hill; sisters-in-law; Barbara Gustafason, Joy Shoemaker, Mary Shoemaker, Sue Shoemaker; and many beloved nieces and nephews.Mrs. Gardner graduated from Delhi High School and obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from ULM. An educator for 41 years, she taught at St. Frederick High School and in the Caddo Parish School System. After returning to Monroe, she became the Special Education Transition Coordinator for the Ouachita Parish School System.Her community involvement included membership in the Society of Human Resource Managers, OAE, ADK, KKI, ORTA, and the AZ Chapter of PEO. She was a member of the Anna Gray Noe Sunday School Class and United Methodist Women at First United Methodist Church, Monroe. What a wonderful lady Bettye was! A dedicated Christian, she served the Lord and her church faithfully. She greeted everyone with a warm hello and her infectious smile. An elegant lady, she led by example and was a true inspiration. She was a positive role model for her family and friends whom she loved dearly and was greatly loved and adored in return.Pallbearers will be her nephews Andy Hartwig, Will Hartwig, Frankie Jordan, Ben Jordan, Steve Shoemaker, Richard Shoemaker, Keith Shoemaker, Mark Hill, and Kermit Hill. Honorary pallbearers will be James Cornelius and Dr. Paul Kapp.Visitation will be 12:30 PM until service time Saturday at First United Methodist Church.Our heartfelt thanks goes to her special friends, Marina Sarpy, Mary Frances and Leslie Cornelius, Wanda Cartwright, and Ann Kapp. We appreciate the care given by Hospice Family Alliance and her godchild, Janet Jordan.Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, Monroe, LA.Online Registry/Condolences: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.comMulhearn Funeral HomeSterlington RoadMonroe, LA