Betty Lou Grout

Betty Lou (Goldsmith) Grout, 83, peacefully went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 12, 2024.

Betty was born in Amarillo, Texas on November 23, 1940. Betty attended Amarillo Public Schools, including Summit Elementary School and Sam Houston Junior High. She met her best friend, Nita (Westfall) Fry, in first grade and they maintained a lifelong friendship. Betty and Nita would walk to and from school together, as there were no buses available. One of their favorite things to do after school was to walk to Woolworth’s Department Store and have strawberry sodas. Betty graduated from Tascosa High School in 1959, where she played violin in the Orchestra. She also worked part-time at Blackburn’s Department Store.

Growing up, she attended the First Assembly of God Church, where she sang in the Choir and taught Sunday School. She also participated in several Sunday Street Services in Downtown Amarillo.

Betty held her family dear to her heart, making it a top priority to spend time with her parents and extended family despite the distance between them. Each Christmas and Summer break, she made a point to be with them. Many summers were enjoyed camping on the beach at Padre Island with her daughter, niece Kimberly, and her parents.

In 1959, Betty began her career with the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, as an Administrator. She was promoted to Support Services Supervisor in 1972 and relocated to the Arizona Projects Office in Phoenix. Throughout her career, she received numerous Outstanding Performance and Special Achievement Awards. She retired from the Bureau in 1987.

She relocated to Denver in 1997 to be close to her daughter and son-in-law. She spent most of her time helping with her new grandson and was a very doting grandmother. Betty also worked as a caregiver for a retired schoolteacher, “Gritzy”. She enjoyed connecting regularly with old friends, listening to music, reading, spending time with her family, and watching old movies, especially Westerns.

Betty had a deep love for the Lord and a true servant’s heart, and she was incredibly generous. In her last years, she attended Life Church in North Denver with her daughter and grandson, where she was fondly known by all as “Betty Lou”.

Betty’s legacy is one of faith, devotion, love, and laughter. She was delightful, sweet, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She had a smile for everyone.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, Muriel and Virgil Goldsmith, and her sister, Barbara Godwin. She is survived by her daughter, Joya Soell, and Grandson, Samuel Soell, both of Westminster, CO, and extended family in Texas, Alabama, and Florida.

Betty’s family would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to the exceptional staff at Thomas Park Memory Care for their remarkable compassion and attentive care.

A Memorial Service for Betty will be on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at the Dick Johnston Community Center, 9996 Grove Street, Westminster, CO. The attire will be dress/casual.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that, if desired, memorial contributions may be made in honor of Betty Lou Grout to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. 

Isaiah 26:3  “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

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