Betty Lou Tarr

Betty Lou Tarr, 99, of David City passed away on Friday, April 17, 2026 at Brookestone of David City.

Memorials can be directed to Family Wishes for later designation.

Funeral Services for Betty will be on Saturday, April 25, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Luke’s Methodist Church in David City. Visitation will be Saturday, from 9:30 until 10:30 at the church. Burial will be in the David City Cemetery with lunch following back at the church. Moravec Johnson Mortaury is handling arrangements for Betty’s Family.

Betty Lou was born on June 3, 1926 in St. Paul, Nebraska to Clement J. and Margaret I. (Kimber) Suchanek. She attended school in St. Paul, graduating as class valedictorian from St. Paul High School in 1944. She furthered her education at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, graduating in 1948 with a degree in economics. While at Doane, she belonged to the Phi Sigma Tau Sorority. Before her graduation from Doane, she began working in St. Paul at Dobry and Dobry law firm until October of 1948.

On October 17, 1948, Betty married Jack D. Tarr at the Methodist Church in St. Paul. The couple made their home in Ashland until their move to Crete in 1949. Their son Terry Allen Tarr was born on April 9, 1950 in Lincoln. In 1952 they moved to York, where daughter Cheryl Lynne was born on June 3, 1952. In August of 1953 the family moved to David City until 1957 when they moved to Crete, and returning back to David City in 1959.

Throughout her life, Betty served as president of the Doane College Alumni Assoc. and with Jack as her co-chair of the Century II fund raising campaign for two years. For their work, Betty and Jack received the Doane Builders Award. She served almost 12 years on the David City Planning Commission, helping adopt the new City Comprehensive plan. Betty also was a member of St. Luke’s Methodist Church, and United Methodist Women, Owls Club, Chapter BQ, P.E.O (where she served 2 years as president), Alma Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and Northside Extension Club.

Within her work life, Betty wrote the historical events column for The Crete News from 1949 until 1952. She was the co-stockholder, with her husband Jack, of a majority interest in The Banner Press from January 1970 until retirement in October 1990. While owning the Banner Press, she did various jobs such as compositor, typesetter, receptionist, bookkeeper, etc.

Betty enjoyed knitting lots of different projects, and keeping track of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved cheering on any of the University of Nebraska sporting events, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Betty is survived by her children Terry (Dana) Tarr of Leverett, Massachusetts and Cheryl Schrader of Columbus; five grandchildren: Timna Tarr (Richard Germain), Christopher (Kelly) Tarr, Michaela Tarr (Andrew Best), David (Kim) Schrader, Cody Schrader (Amanda Penne); nine grandchildren: Sadie Germain, Rebecca, Zachary, Abigail, Victoria, Brinlee, Keira, Kitai, and Talia Schrader.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Jack in 2004, and son-in-law Roger Schrader in 2006.