Betty Elroy Wright Sterquell – January 15, 2013


Betty Elroy Wright Sterquell, 84, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013.
Services will be at 1:00 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, in Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel with the Right Rev. Jeff W. Fisher, Bishop Suffragen of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas officiating.  Private burial will be in Llano Cemetery.  Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.
Betty Elroy Wright Sterquell was born in Houston in June 1928.  She was the elder of two daughters born to Knox Elroy and Bessie Mae Sternenberg Wright.
Betty entered the University of Texas in Austin at age 16, graduating in 1949 and earned a double major and double minor.  While in college Betty pledged Alpha Delta Pi commencing a long and loving relationship with her sorority where she was honored with many awards.
In July of 1949, Betty married U.C. Sterquell, Jr., a Waco native and graduate of Texas A&M, class of 1945.  During their first year of marriage they moved to Amarillo where they resided until their deaths.
Betty and Sterk enjoyed their time spent at the Will Rogers Range Riders, Palo Duro Club and Khiva Shrine.  After many years of acquiring and restoring of horse drawn utility wagons, Betty and Sterk created the Sterquell Wagon Collection.  This collection is now shared at the Ft. Worth Stockyards.
Betty was involved in many entrepreneurial areas including the Betty’s Needlecraft Shop, Quilts, Etc., Mr. Pack Rat and Eatables.  She taught at St. Andrews, when the day school expanded from kindergarten to sixth grade.
As a strong member of the Republican Party, she was an original organizer of the Republican Party of Randall County, charter officer of the Amarillo Republican Women’s Club and chairman of the county Republican Party.
She was a dutiful civic leader and was appointed by the City Commissions to many committees to research ways to better her community.
Betty was the instigator and founding father of Camp Alphie.  She was honored for her extraordinary efforts and was named one of the Seven Who Care Awards in 1990.  Volunteering in her community was one of Betty’s passions she held in the highest regard.  She served as a member of numerous boards in both executive and charter board members including, but not limited to, Boy Scouts of America, MDA, High Plains Food Bank, Northwest Texas Hospital School of Nursing, American Cancer Society, Circle of Friends of the Harrington Cancer Center, Stroke Survivors Club, Admire Camp, CPA Wives, League of Women Voters, Amarillo Symphony, Amarillo Art Alliance and AAUW.
She was preceded in death by her husband, U.C. Sterquell, Jr.; and son, Steve W. Sterquell.
Survivors include a son, J.C. Sterquell and wife Patricia of Dallas; a daughter, Vicki S. Sterquell of Houston; a daughter-in-law, Marshallette Sterquell of Amarillo; five grandchildren, Steve W. Sterquell II and wife Holly, Libby Bunn and husband Larry, Tom C. Sterquell, Jake Steen and Miles Collins; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Nancy Fisher and husband Nelson of Houston.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to The Diaper Foundation, P.O. Box 667109, Houston, Texas 77266; High Plains Mended Little Hearts, 112 Stockton, Amarillo, Texas 79118; or to BSA Hospice, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, Texas 79105.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 at the funeral home.

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