Betty R. Strathman

Betty R. Strathman, 79, of Moline, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Esterdahl Mortuary and Crematory, Ltd., Moline. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026, at Greenview Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to Hemophilia of Indiana Inc (hoii.org; 6910 North Shadeland Ave., Suite 140, Indianapolis, IN 46220) or to Down Syndrome Indiana (dsindiana.org; 615 North Alabama St., Suite 219, Indianapolis, IN 46204).

Betty was born on December 21, 1946, in Bloomington, IN, the daughter of Thomas R. and Agnes R. (Starkey) McConnell. She married William “Bill” Strathman in Lafayette, IN on January 3, 1969; he preceded her in death on April 22, 2025.

Betty grew up in Fowler, IN, with a love of books and literature. She earned her bachelor’s degree in library science from the Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas, then worked at the Hillside Public Library until moving to Moline with her husband in 1973. Betty provided a home that encouraged her children to read and explore. She even supported the school library at Butterworth Elementary with part-time volunteer services for several years. Her favorite novels were murder mysteries, and her love of fresh tomatoes meant that for decades her yard was home to a large vegetable garden.

Betty volunteered extensively with the Mississippi Valley Girl Scout Council in the 1980s-2000s. She started as a Troop Leader, then was a Service Unit Director for many years. In that role, she managed the Girl Scout Cookie distribution program (our living room doubled as a cookie warehouse each year!), was the Operations Director for Girl Scout Day Camps at Shabonee and Loud Thunder, and led efforts for Scout & Leader Recruitment.

In her later years, she worked at EVAC Systems as a seamstress, making bags and rescue gear for Fire Departments and SAR/USAR teams, as well as providing office and order support.

Survivors include her daughter, Monica Strathman; sister, Barb (Pete) Klocek; many nieces, a nephew, and great-nieces/nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bill; son, Michael; and siblings, Gail (John) Strathman and Tom McConnell.

Memories may be shared online by visiting esterdahl.com.