Betty Jo Estes

Richmond Hill - Betty Jo Estes passed away peacefully on August 25, 2014 at Bortz Health Care of Traverse City Michigan. She was preceded in death by her husband Van E. Estes, Jr. and her beloved brother and sisters. Jo was born near Flemington, West Virginia on July 12, 1929. She graduated from West Virginia Business School and was hired by the U. S. State Department in 1950. In 1953 in Washington D.C. she met a young Army officer, Van E. Estes, Jr., on a blind date arranged by her soon to be sister-in-law. They married and started a life together of travel and adventure raising a family along the way. Over the next 20 years of his career, they moved 19 times. They settled in the Savannah area in 1970 and, except for a few years in Sierra Vista, AZ, spent the rest of their days in Richmond Hill. Besides her love for travel, Jo was an avid birdwatcher with a life list of around 700 types of birds. She and Van traveled extensively in search of new birds and adventure. When she was not birding or enjoying the company of family, she enjoyed her extended family at Magnolia Manor and Richmond Hill United Methodist Church. She spent hours doing jigsaw puzzles on the second floor and loved the fellowship with her friends there. She is survived by three children, Van E. Estes III and wife Judie of Hanahan, SC, Arthur Lee Estes and wife Toni of Omaha, NE, and Katy Jenks and husband Peter of Traverse City, MI. She also leaves six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for September 27th at 1:00 PM in the parlor at Magnolia Manor in Richmond Hill. In lieu flowers, memorials may be made to Magnolia Manor, Richmond Hill United Methodist Church, or the charity of your choice. Final arrangements are entrusted to the care of Carter Funeral Home. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Betty Jo Estes, please visit our flower store.