Betty Lou Spaulding Hockin, our kind, joyful, caring, and strong mother and grandmother, passed away quietly, surrounded by her family, on June 9, 2018. We will miss her dearly. Betty was born at home on July 7, 1926, in Swanton, Ohio, the youngest daughter of a farming family. She lived through the depression and went on to attend Ohio Wesleyan University, where she earned a degree in Home Economics. She met Orlin, the love of her life, after college, when she noticed him singing in the church choir. They married on December 15, 1951.
Betty will be remembered for her commitment to her family and to the students of the Young Mothers' Program in Granite School District, where she taught for 20 years. Her faith was central to her life. She was a devoted member of Christ United Methodist Church for over 50 years, and she played an active role in the Deborah Circle and UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). As part of the Days for Girls Program, Betty sewed hundreds of hygiene bags that were sent to girls in Madagascar and Guatemala. Betty loved to cook and sew. She was famous for Grandma Hockin's sugar cookies and coffee cake. She made clothing, draperies, pillows, prom dresses, wedding dresses, and quilts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She created well-loved gifts of "Grammy Jammies" and "Betty Balls." Betty was also an avid pinochle player who loved getting together to play with friends, many of them at Highland Cove Senior Living Community, where she lived for the past two years.
Betty is survived by her children and their spouses, Beth (Hockin) and Chuck Holmberg, Grant and Carol Hockin, Scott and Mary Hockin, Fay (Hockin) and Jeff Losser, and Amy (Hockin) and Patrick Schlight; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and her sister, Corene Spaulding Grube; as well as friends and other family members. Betty was preceded in death by her husband Orlin Cary Hockin, her granddaughter Madeline Lou Hockin, her sister Jeanette Spaulding White, and her parents, Dexter and Louella Spaulding of Swanton, Ohio.
Betty was a woman of strong faith who was loved by all those around her. She touched the lives of others and changed the world through her kindness, her generosity, and her joyful, inclusive spirit.
A memorial service in celebration of Betty's life will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 2375 East 3300 South, Salt Lake City, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 16, 2018. All are invited to join the celebration, which will include a light luncheon following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Betty's name may be made to a favorite charity.
