Helen Elizabeth "Betsy" Faulkner

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To know Betsy was to know laughter, determination, the best chocolate sheet cake you have ever tasted, hugs that melted any worries, and selfless love.

Helen Elizabeth "Betsy" Faulkner, age 93, went home to be with the Lord on July 28, 2026. Her legacy will live on through the memories we shared, the values she instilled in us, and the love she gave. We take solace in knowing she is now at peace, reunited with the loved ones who have gone before her.

Born on December 6, 1932 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma to Herbert and Ida Olmsted, Betsy lived a long, full life, filled with both great hardship and immense joy. Helen is predeceased by her mother and father, her cherished step-mother, Faye Jones, her husband, Donald Lee Faulkner, and her two brothers, Robert "Bob" Olmsted, and David Olmsted.

Betsy loved gardening. She planted her first garden as the victory garden behind her family's apartment building at the end of World War II. She went on to become a Master Gardener and cultivated her life with the same attention and care she showed her flowers. Betsy had a natural green thumb and just like her collection of plants, her family has thrived under her love and affection. Betsy was the matriarch of a large family of five children, eleven grandchildren, and eleven great grandchildren, all of whom love and cherish her dearly. Her legacy is still growing, with two more great grandchildren expected this year.

Betsy retired from the University of North Texas in 2000. She then continued volunteer work and her favorite job of being a grandmother. Betsy sustained deep and meaningful friendships with her Beta Sigma Phi sorority sisters and life-long friends who felt like family. She contributed to her community and those she held dear through her work at the Denton Senior Center, delivering meals, and by transporting patients for medical treatments. She had abundant kindness and was willing to help anyone in need.

When Betsy did make time for herself, she chose to travel to the mountains, took senior bus trips, loved to reminisce about her beloved cruise to Alaska, read hundreds of mystery and romance novels, loved puzzles, and played a good game of chair volleyball. She could always be found with her crochet bag, and greeted every new grandchild with a cherished, hand-made blanket. Betsy loved snow, the color blue, the KU Jayhawks, and her family.

Betsy was also an avid sports fan. In the early years, sports from the radio filled her home. Later, you could find her watching sports on television, often texting children and grandchildren the play-by-play and outcome. She could recite the scores of any game of the week and could tell you the schedule of upcoming games. March madness delighted her. Betsy's favorite team to root for was The University of Kansas Jayhawks. She collected many forms of KU memorabilia that she proudly displayed in her home.

Her dry witted humor was always unexpected and sharp. Helen's smile reached her eyes, often hiding her bright and sharp blue eyes behind her laughing cheeks. She cherished the holidays and marked each of them with a themed outfit, purse, matching earrings, and her famous Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake. She could be found in the stands at any and every of her grandchildren's many sporting events, often with a treat or two in her purse, curated uniquely for each grandchild. Betsy's fridge was always stocked with each member of her family's favorite snacks -- a small representation of her thoughtfulness and attention to detail.

Betsy's death is felt deeply by all who knew her, because to know Betsy was to know laughter, determination, the best chocolate sheet cake you have ever tasted, hugs that melted any worries, and selfless love. As we mourn her loss, we also celebrate the joy and kindness that were the essence of her being.

A family graveside service will be held in Lawrence, Kansas at a later date.