Betty Lou Bushnell Ward

Until early morning April 19, 2026, Betty Lou Bushnell Ward smiled with us for over 100 years. Born at home in the Iowa township of Honey Creek August 3, 1925, options on her birth certificate were “born alive” or “stillborn”, which tells us about the hard lives of her family, Iowa farmers. Her heart was strong, but it just got tired in the end after all the nursing, baking, and caring for others she did her entire life.

She was the baby and last of her immediate family to leave us, surviving her parents, Mable & Wayne Bushnell, big sister and three brothers, the last of whom, Clark, recently left us at age 101. Three surviving nieces, Meg Jeffrey, Julia Steele and Barbara Herren, daughters of Betty’s brothers and Dad’s aunt, have continued to connect with Betty for years.

Her daughter, Claudia Jernigan, and son Steve Ward were with her in the last days and have lots of stories – just ask them! Steve’s two daughters, Joy Bragg and Leigh Roberts and their four children each knew and enjoyed their grandma and great-grandma and will especially miss her cookies and love of curly hair. Claudia’s husband, Gray, always looked forward to baking lessons from Betty and became quite the gourmet pastry cook because of her help.

Betty met Claude “Dad” Ward in 1945 when she was his nurse at a Cedar Rapids, Iowa hospital where he was recovering from appendicitis. As he told the story, much to her embarrassment, Betty saw him, changed his sheets, fell in love and it was decided. He was engaged at the time but that’s another story. We lost him in 2008 but he continued to be a presence in Betty’s life and is still quoted today by many. She began writing in journals to keep him updated on life events and kept it up these last 18 years. She continued baking, visiting and caring for her family & friends tirelessly despite his absence.

After Dad joined the Air Force in the 1940s, he chose a three year “reserve” period, where the Wards lived in Iowa and Dad worked at a fish hatchery. It was fun and unique living in a big house on a hill near the hatchery, with a toddler daughter and eventual son. Betty was able to visit with her family often and hosted all at the new home.

When Dad reenlisted, he was then stationed to work with the RAF (Royal Air Force) in England and was sent ahead of his family in 1952. Betty, age 25, the small-town Iowa wife, now with kids ages 2 and 5, made her way as the lone adult, via The Queen Mary to join him where he had already found a small home for them in Birchington, Kent. They lived with their British neighbors there for three years. When they returned the Wards lived on several military bases including in Oklahoma and Arizona.

The Wards did another tour of England in 1969, both times making longtime friends, communicating back and forth via old-fashioned letters for years. When returning stateside, they were stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona.

They eventually landed in Atlanta, Georgia where Dad retired at 45 to begin a new life in the air conditioning business with another retired fighter pilot who had started the business. He worked with leaders who became lifetime friends of the Wards. They are all still here, among them, the Corbins, Frankes and Rodriguezes who visited Betty when they could.

Although Dad & Betty were focused on the air conditioning business, a big part of their later life involved Dad’s 100-acre retirement dream, “Far Away Farm” he envisioned and created in Bowman, Georgia. Everyone looked forward to visiting the farm, where Betty often cared for one or two abandoned baby goats. It had almost become a petting zoo!

Betty was an accomplished “farm hand” at the farm, where they ultimately lived half the week, Thursdays through Sundays. They erected fences and gates, mowed and irrigated, among many other things like taking care of the goat herd, cattle, dogs and a cat. Betty even got on the tractor one drizzly day when Dad was away and pulled Gray’s truck out of a mudhole. Their vegetable garden was the best in the South, not to mention the 8-acre stocked lake Dad built for his family and fishing buddies. Betty and Dad often walked down to the lake to “catch dinner.”

The week prior to Betty’s death, we found two notes in her jewelry box. One was a co-signed note from Steven and Claudia gifting her with love that very box on Mother’s Day, 1963. The other note was labeled “from my sweet husband”. It was simply titled “Betty Ward” in Dad’s handwriting and under that, a list of words: Talented, Loyal, Caring, Loving, Sweet, Neat, Supportive, Pleasing, Pleasant, Pretty, Understanding, Generous, Appreciative, Determined, Skillful, Gentle, Kind, Personable, Precious, Committed, Charming, Brave, Dependable, Friendly, Forgiving, Gracious, Homey, Intelligent, Happy, Precise, Quiet, Attractive, Vivacious, and Willing. He said it all.

At the end of a full life one never quite knows what one has contributed or if it made an impact, but Betty will most be remembered for her smile, her generosity, a huge giving heart, and for being a caretaker to all she knew – a true nurse to her world. We will all miss her and know somewhere, somehow, she’s now making Dad a delicious meal with banana cake dessert and petting their beloved Blue Heelers, Bear and Chip.

In lieu of flowers or food, her children would appreciate you sending a memory of Betty to Claudia at cwjjart@bellsouth.net or post one on the Wages site: https://www.wagesandsons.com. Betty loved her dogs, so if donating to Lifeline Atlanta feels right, she would have appreciated that: https://lifelineanimal.org/. We will have a small family and friends celebration of life to share your memories for her later in the year.