Elizabeth Downing

Betty Downing February 27, 1931 - October 3, 2010 Services for Betty Downing will be held at 1:30 PM, Friday, October 8, 2010 at Liberty Baptist Church with Pastor Bruce Sell officiating. Visitation will be from 12:00 Noon to 8:00 PM, Thursday, October 7, 2010 at Bustard's Funeral Home. Interment will be at Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery in Evansville, Wyoming. Elizabeth Ann Downing was born on a farm in Box Butte County, Nebraska to John and Fern Vogel. As a young girl she grew up on a ranch riding horseback and discovering her love of art in a one room school house. Later, she went to beauty school in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. She married Charles Edward Downing on September 13, 1963. They lived briefly in Lincoln, Nebraska and then moved to Casper in the early 1950's, raised their family and left their legacy. Betty used her gifts and talents in many different ways. From mentoring beginning artists to portrait classes and workshops, unique murals for friends, props for vacation Bible School, donating her paintings for charity, fashioning wigs for breast cancer survivors (as she was one herself), styling hair professionally, for friends and relatives and even for some funerals. She designed cards and booklets to be used for those that were hurting from accidents, cancer and abuse. She has done work for the Audubon Society and Casper's Downtown Development Authority. She has paintings in many private collections across the United States and in other countries. She loved the Lord, her church, her family and friends. Our mother was a beautiful woman, both on the inside and out who taught us all how to be gracious, serving, giving and kind. She loved to laugh, make us laugh and laugh at herself. She was a great friend, mother and wife and will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. She is survived by her son, Dan Downing and his wife, Martha of Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, her daughter, Julie King and her husband Alan of Fort Collins, Colorado, her sister, Verda Broad of Bayard, Nebraska, her brother, Gene Vogel of Alliance, Nebraska, granddaughters, Bree Copeland and her husband Ken of Tooele, Utah, Abi Wilson of Denver, Colorado, two great grandchildren, Cody and Bridger Copeland of Tooele, Utah, numerous nephews and one niece. Betty was preceded in death by her husband Charles Downing of Casper, Wyoming, her brother, Jack Vogel of Crawford, Nebraska, her sister, Irene Underwood of Crawford, Nebraska, her sister, Izola Gardener of Casper, Wyoming and her sister, Phyllis Nowellis of Sterling Heights, Michigan. Flowers may be sent to Bustard's Funeral Home. Memorials may be made for breast cancer or Hospice.

Visitation

Thursday, October 7, 2010 12:00pm - 8:00pm