Betty J. McCarthy-Holder

Betty J. McCarthy-Holder, age 85, passed away peacefully on December 6, 2018 at the JourneyCare CareCenter in Woodstock, IL after a long battle with Parkinson’s.  Born Betty Joann Seeley in Rockford on August 6, 1933 to Mrs. Carrie E. (Portner) Seeley, who was hit and killed by an automobile on N. Main Street in January, 1941.  Betty and her sister Jeannine spent their childhood years at the Rockford Children’s Home on North Longwood.  Goldie Floberg signed Betty’s adoption papers as guardian on behalf of the State of Illinois when she was adopted by foster parents, Frank and Alice Northam in 1946.  

Betty graduated from West High School in 1952.  She married her first husband Bob in April, 1953.  Together they spent their entire lives in Rockford and raised four children.  Betty worked as a drapery seamstress for Sears-Roebuck for a number of years before starting Creative Windows and Design where she made drapes for numerous local residents.  Following the death of her first husband, Bob on December 3, 1982, she gave up full-time work making drapes and went to work in the Metrology Department at Woodward Governor Company.  

Betty remained a widow until 1992 when she married second husband, Henry “Ray” Holder.  Sadly, she was widowed again when Ray passed away in 2005.  Betty was a member of Concordia Lutheran Church and Calvary Baptist Church here in Rockford.  She thoroughly enjoyed traveling to England on a number of occasions to visit the “English side” of our family.

Betty was preceded in death by her biological mother; adoptive parents, Frank and Alice Northam; half-brothers, Wayne “Doc” Seeley (Pulaski, VA) and Maynard Seeley (Rockford, IL); half-sister, Jeannine Bruder (Sterling, IL); first husband, Bob; second husband, Ray Holder; and infant son, David.  

She is survived by sons, Rob (Jodi) McCarthy and Tom McCarthy; daughters, Kelly (Dr. Kenneth) Petersen and Nancy (Don) Metcalf - all of Rockford; step-children, Dennis (Debra) Holder of Cherry Valley, Richard (Sheila) Holder of Rockford and Denise Holder of Bolivar, MO; grandchildren, Robert W. McCarthy, III of Nashville, TN, Jonathan (Cathryn) McCarthy of Tulsa, OK, Christine Petersen of Broomfield, CO, Christopher McCarthy, Timothy (Liz) McCarthy, Lindsey (John) Evans and Andrew Petersen - all of Rockford; step-grandson, Mathew Holder of Hampshire, IL; and great-grandchildren, Brandon McCarthy, Carter McCarthy, Eastyn McCarthy, Kylee Evans, and John Evans, Jr. - all of Rockford, and Harper Grace McCarthy of Tulsa, OK.  Betty is also survived by her sister-in-law, Mrs. E. Marie Gray of Tiddington, England; nieces, Ann (Petere) Bradley of Chichester, England, Kathy (Andrew) Buchanan of Oxhill, England, Patricia (Mark) Robson of Hong Kong, China and Linda Hibst of Battle Creek, MI; and nephew, Mike McCarthy of Seattle, WA.  

Sadly, the matriarch of our family, Mrs. Ethel (Eugene) Hibst, formerly of Freeport, IL, passed away in Galena, OH at her son-in-law’s (Larry Klabunde) home just 15 hours after Betty’s passing.  Betty will be missed by family and friends who knew her as strong willed but a loving and caring person who went out of her way to help others. 

The family would like to thank the staff at Bickford of Rockford for providing Betty’s care for the last four years of her life, and the staff at JourneyCare CareCenter in Woodstock, IL for their compassion and exceptional care during Betty’s four-day transition to life ever after.  We know that Betty is eternally grateful to her daughter, Nancy and daughter-in-law, Jodi for the loving care they provided in her time of greatest need.  

Betty gifted her body to Medical Science for Parkinson’s Research.  A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at Calvary Baptist Church, 6286 Linden Road, Rockford IL 61109.  A fellowship follows at the church.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Betty’s name to JourneyCare Foundation or Parkinson’s Foundation.  Her earthly remains will be inurned next to her first husband, Bob at Sunset Memorial Gardens in a private ceremony on March 9, 2019. 

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