Betty June (Evans) King

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TORRINGTON – “Grandma Betty” King was born March 16, 1944 in Rogers, Arkansas, the second child of Clarence Evans and Winnie Evans (Edmondson) of northwestern Arkansas. After moving to Wyoming in 1952, Betty attended school in Huntley and was a fixture around Goshen County for many years. 

Early on, Betty worked at the Longbranch Café in Hawk Springs with her mother. In 1971 she served the community at the Squire Inn on Main Street in Torrington where she was known to carry four, five or even six plates at one time despite her tiny stature. These experiences allowed Betty to meet and bring joy to all of those she encountered. However, in 1988, Betty found her true calling when she opened her home as Kountry Munchkins Day Care and began the loving and nurturing mission of caring for the area’s children. Over the course of 32 years, Betty cared for and positively influenced more than 150 of Goshen County’s kids. Betty’s impact to the community and the county will be forever felt through the hearts, minds and efforts of her numerous charges.

Betty married Gene Gayman of Torrington in June 1960 and they had two daughters, Vicky and Terry. She later married, Denny King of Guernsey on Dec. 31, 1997 after an extended 18-year courtship and became mother to a son, Ricky and another daughter Kelli. Betty was the second of 11 siblings born to Clarence and Winnie. Betty loved people and was always there for any in need with a hot meal, a warm bed or even a story to bring a smile. She loved her pets, of which she had dozens over the years, her candy and her Coca-Cola. Grandma Betty was a devoted wife, mother to three daughters and a son, grandmother to ten, and great-grandmother to eleven. She will be uniquely missed by countless friends and family members.

Betty was preceded in death by her first husband, Gene Gayman, her second husband, Denny King, her father, Clarence, and mother, Winnie, and her brother, Gene Evans. She is survived by her daughters, Vicky (Doug) Peterson of Torrington, Terry (Jeff) Cash of Cheyenne, Kelli (Drew) Ryan of Wood River, Nebraska, and her son, Ricky (Gretchen) King of Peyton, Colorado. Betty is survived by several of her siblings, Dorothy (Bernard) Matthews, Arnold (Linda) Evans, Bob (Kathy) Evans, Larry (Ronda) Evans, Dave (Cathy) Evans, LeeRoy (Nancy) Evans, Anita (Oscar) Johnson, Don (Jenifer) Evans and Susie Moehr. Grandma Betty is also survived by dozens of nieces and nephews as well as the multitude of those for which she cared.

The immediate family will greet extended family and friends during Betty’s Celebration of Life scheduled for Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. at the Lincoln Community Complex in Torrington. In lieu of flowers, the family requests charitable contributions in memory of Betty be sent to Brain Support Network, P.O. Box 7264 Menlo Park, CA (www.brainsupportnetwork.org) or Gracie’s Promise.