BETTY COOLEY SMITH

With some arm twisting and encouragement from friends, Betty agreed to share her story. It was a nostalgic experience, for the down-side of a long life is the loss of many family members and friends. Names of those involved in her life are familiar to longtime residents of Osceola: the Cooleys, Touets, McQuerns, and others. Betty's aunt, her father's sister, is Mae Touet. Her mother's sister-in-law was Daisy McQuern. Daisy's is a story in itself. She loved to give programs for Research Club and spent hours and hours in their preparation. She often included piano numbers playing the bass notes with her foot. She took lessons in china painting from Betty and gave away numerous pieces, writing a poem to accompany each one. May we all be as young asDaisy when she died at 107.

Betty was born August 30, 1925, to June and Ada Cooley. She had one brother, Robert (Bob), five years older than she. Bob died about twenty years ago. He had farmed and was the Cooley of Saylor-Cooley elevator north of Osceola.

The family lived on a faun northeast of but not far from Osceola. The children attended a country school, which was two miles east of their farm. Betty rode her pony, Lady, to school. When she arrived, she tied up the pony for the day, which usually worked well. If Lady got loose, Betty walked home. Others who attended the school were Don Harlan, Fred Harlan's son, Marvin Paul, Alice Chase, and Doris Steele, who lived close to Betty and they played together.

Betty went through the eighth grade in the country school, then attended high school in Osceola. She sometimes walked, going up the rail road track, or she stayed with her Aunt Daisy McQuern, and her daughters Mary, Madge and Jane. Her extra curricular activity was band in which she played the saxophone. She has since sold it and wished she hadn't.

After graduation, Betty worked in Des Moines for awhile and then in Dr. Stroy's office. At that time there were three Bettys employed there — Betty Adamson, Betty DeVoe, and Betty Cooley. They designated which was which by Betty 1, Betty 2, and Betty 3. Betty 3 was the Betty of this story, because she was the last to be hired.

A very popular diversion for young people in those days was public dances and Betty met Bob Smith at a dance in Creston. She had an excellent dance teacher — Andy Jeffreys. She and Bob were married in October 1946. Bob had been in the service, the Army Tnfantry, but he talked very little about it. She only knows that he had been a truck driver stationed in the Philippines. Bob's father was Allen Smith. Bob had three brothers, Wes, Dick, and LaVere, and an older sister, Mildred. Linda, who is now Linda Reed, was the baby of the family. Bob ran onto his brother LaVere in the Philippines.

Bob contracted malaria while in the service and suffered from recurring attacks from then on. They were characterized by high fever sweats. He talked about was how good grapefruit juice tasted.

Wes, too, was in the service and after they were discharged, the brothers returned to live in Osceola. LaVere married Maryle Jeannette Paul  and they had two children. Clayton is a well known United Methodist minister in Missouri. Susan works for the telephone company and lives in Warrensburg, Missouri. Wes married Betty Gracey, and their children were Craig and Kevin, with another son, Todd, born after they left Osceola. Dick married Orpha and their children were Shelly, Nancy, and Jim. Bob and Betty Cooley Smith had one son, Stephen, born August 15, 1948. He lives in Osceola and works for railroad. He married Vicki Vinz of Des Moines and they have two sons, Kevin and Ken. Both boys live in Florida and Betty sees them once a year. They have given her three great-grandchildren, two boys and a girl. Stephen's present wife, Edie, and Betty are very close. "She is more like a friend than a daughter-in-law."

Three of the boys in the Smith family are deceased, as is Mary Jeanette. Dick is still living. Bob died of cancer of the spine in the Methodist hospital in Des Moines on December 28, 1991.

The most important part of Betty's story, that for which she is best known, and what she says has been the love of her life since she first knew about it, is her china painting. She does not believe it was a natural but a learned talent, which began when she was barely more than a child — in the late 1930s. Her parents always took the children to the State Fair. The first place she always went was to the china painting exhibit. From this point Betty tells her own story:

"When I was in high school, I saw the work of Russell Manley's mother, Mrs. Hardinger, and was crazy about it. From that time on I wanted to paint china. When I worked in Des Moines, we girls went to a fortune teller. She told me that I should paint on tea cups. She confirmed what I was already determined to do and I've done it ever since. There was a period of time during the World Wars when we couldn't get supplies from Europe and the art went out of style. I wasn't able to find a teacher. However, Winona Naylor, who taught in Clarke Elementary School, found me a teacher in Winterset. I took lessons from her for awhile, then from Winona, and from then on we found a teacher in Des Moines we both took lessons from her. In all the years since, I've gone to seminars, conventions and taken lessons from professionals all over the United States. I belong to the World Organization of China Painters. It is based in Oklahoma City, where there is a museum that is really worth seeing. I've had piece published by them in an art magazine. They encouraged me to donate it to their museum but I couldn't part with it. It is a vase called a centerpiece. I also belong to the Iowa Organization of China Painters. We have 22 clubs in Iowa. The one I meet with is in Des Moines. We meet monthly, and I usually attend.

"There are people who liken this art to painting on ceramics, but the process is much different. For china painting, we use a dry powdered mineral paint mixed with mineral oil and an oil from South American. At various stages, I fire the piece in a kiln, which fires to 1500 degrees. I have my own kiln and have fired nothing less than three times, and have done up to 20 times on one piece. That opens the glaze of the china and the paint sinks in. As it cools, the glaze comes over the top to make it permanent. It takes 1 1/2. hours to fire and then it has to cool down. I usually fire at night and open the kiln the next morning.

"It is difficult to appreciate my head of Christ in black and white. It was fired at least seven times. There are four different processes. I did the painting of the portrait first and that probably took three or four paintings with firing between. The little dots in the border are raised paste put on with a needle and that's fired. Then I covered it with gold, which is 35% pure gold, so it is quite expensive and becoming more so all the time. Then I put on an enamel — that is a red part in the border. That is fired. Portraits are fired at least three times, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I don't paint as much as I used to, but I work a little. I paint for the auction at the Fall Harvest and for the church Easter Basket project. I don't sell much anymore, they are just for family and gifts.

"China painting is still not considered a "fine art," but the Governor and many others have worked on getting it to be so. The reason they say it isn't, is that we do use some patterns or at least look at something else in order to do it. For most potraits, animals, and birds I do the outline from a pattern. Most flowers are done free hand. But unless a buyer understands what is involved, they do not understand how intricate the work is or the appropriate price to pay. One lady in town, Katherine Blain, bought a lot of pieces for $100 each, and when they had her auction, they sold for $12 each. People don't know. Over a period of years I have exhibited at the State Fair and I think I have had eight "Best of Show" awards. I hope that doesn't sound like bragging. I just would like for people to understand what is involved. A professional artist who sells many of her pieces in Europe, told me she would get $10,000 for the head of Christ work.

"I had one interesting experience when Jimmy Dean's factory was in town, and he gave a large sum to develop a children's library. He and Mayor Bayard Shadley came to the library when I was setting up a display of my work. A jewelry box with roses caught his eye. He said, "I want to buy that." I answered, "I can't sell it because I am teaching a seminar and I have to have that piece to show." Later Shad told me that Jimmy Dean would have paid any price I asked. Shad was quite sure Jimmy Dean wanted to give it to First Lady Barbara Bush, whom he was soon to visit. I'll never sell that box now because it is my conversation piece."

Additional information was supplied by Mary Larson, who said, "I hope you will include Betty's wonderful laugh, and that for about seven years she and Bob moved in to care for her mother. Betty's father died in 1963, and about 1979, her mother developed polymyositis, which is an inflamation of muscles. The symptoms began by her falling backwards, then she walked with a cane, then a walker, then a wheel chair and finally was bedfast. Bob was working in Des Moines and they didn't close up their house, but he came home, changed clothes, and went to the Cooley house for the night."

Betty has won several cruises, organized through the casino. Two years ago she, with Ken and Pat Baker, who also won, went to the Mexican Riveria. Betty won another in 2007. This is to Alaska, leaving September 8. It will be the end of their season but she will be dressed for cold weather. Some cruises combine land and water, but they will stay on board except for landing at ports. She had always wanted to go to Alaska but thought she had waited too long and now would be too old. She decided to try it. There are even china painting cruises, but she hasn't ever gone on one and thinks her traveling days will be over after the trip this fall.

Betty's cousin, Mary Ellen Larson, sent the following from Des Moines: "I don't have much connection with Osceola any more, so I am very pleased to visit with you about Betty. Betty Cooley Smith and I are first cousins. Her mother, Ada McQuern Cooley was sister to my dad, Floyd McQuern so I have known Betty long time. In my mind the wonderful thing that stands out most about Betty is her ever present friendly, happy personality and her hearty, infectious laugh. She can see the funny side of life. She laughs easily, and when you hear her laugh, it makes you feel good all over and you too will laugh. It's infectious, but the kind of infection that makes you feel good all over. Our aunt, Lee McQuern, said she inherited the laugh from her dad, June Cooley. He had that good happy quality. Another cousin, Sue Rowland said, `It's a joy to be around Betty.'

"Betty is well known for her china painting. She took it up many years ago when she was assisting her mother, who was ill. I've heard her say that in the beginning there were times when she became discouraged and threatened to give it up, but a friend encouraged her and insisted that she stay with it. Stay with it she did and went on to become an expert. She has taken many china painting classes followed by many advanced classes. She has displayed her paintings at the Iowa State Fair and received many blue ribbons and the ultimate--best of show.

"In the 80's Betty taught a small class in china painting. My mother, Daisy McQuern was a star (I think) pupil and just loved learning from Betty how to do it. She had fun painting china for all her family and loved to sign off by putting a clever little poem and the date on the back."

These are my thoughts. Mary Ellen (Mrs. Lee) Larson

Return to main page for Recipes for Living 2007 by Fern Underwood

Last Revised February 17, 2014