Betty Ann (nee Durrer) Weisenborn, 84, died Dec. 1, 2025, in St. Louis. She was born to John G. and Ardell (nee Borcharding) Durrer on her parents’ farm near Fountain and grew up in nearby Columbia.

She was the first member of her family to attend college and always credited her teachers at Columbia High School for encouraging her pursuit of higher education.

Betty earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University and spent her career as a teacher, beginning in Rantoul. The bulk of her teaching career was spent with Shawnee Mission Public Schools in Overland Park, Kan., where she found her calling as a skilled and devoted reading specialist, most recently at Corinth Elementary School.

Her family will cherish memories of Fourth of July celebrations at the Round Hill neighborhood pool, trips to Cocoa Beach, and her wise counsel—passed down from her grandmother — to “keep still and catch on.” 

She was a devoted daughter, mother and grandmother who worked tirelessly to ensure her loved ones were well cared for. She believed deeply in the power of education, and particularly that “reading changes everything.”

The family wishes to extend its deepest gratitude to the caregivers at Cedarhurst of Des Peres who cared for Betty (and us) with compassion and kindness during her time in hospice care.

She is survived by her son Gregory Weisenborn and his wife Charlene Nichols of Hays, Kan.; daughter Linda Tackes of Frontenac, Mo.; grandchildren Joseph Tackes and his wife Faith of Tampa, Fla.; Julia Ross (nee Tackes) and her husband Kyle of St. Louis; Katherine Nichol (nee Weisenborn) and her husband Grant of Overland Park, Kan.; Jacob Tackes of St. Louis; and John Weisenborn of Hays, Kan.; great-grandchildren Easton and Wells; nieces Cheryl (Henry) Popow and Krystin Lopez (David) and their families; as well as many other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother Robert Durrer; son-in-law John Tackes; niece Denise Huntsinger; and longtime companion Earl Hobbs.

Visitation is 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 20 at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Columbia.

A funeral service will follow visitation at noon with Rev. Jonathan Bangera officiating. 

Interment be at St. Paul UCC Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers (seriously—she was a very practical person, and cut flowers only last a few days), the family requests memorial donations be made to the Round Hill Neighborhood Association, Overland Park, Kan., noting “Betty Weisenborn Memorial.”

She would have appreciated nothing more than for those who wish to honor her memory to read often to the children in their lives.

Leesman Funeral Homes handled arrangement.