Betty Lou BurgeWiseman

Betty Lou Wiseman of Bradenton, Fla., passed away on Dec. 24, 2007 from complications of a stroke she suffered the week before at Freedom Village Nursing Center.

Betty Lou Wiseman was born on Feb. 12, 1920 to William Farley Burge and Pearl Elizabeth Jenkins Burge on their farm near Gallatin, Mo. She was the youngest of eleven children with five brothers and five sisters. She attended and graduated from Carlow High School in May, 1937 along with five other classmates. Shortly thereafter she was interviewed and appointed to a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture by then Senator of Missouri, Harry S. Truman. In April of 1944 Betty joined the Women’s Division of the US Marine Corp and served in the military until September of 1946 when she was reappointed to a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. This was a continuation of what would be her 36 year career with the Federal Government ending with the Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. In addition to a full time career, she attended college at both George Washington University and Columbus University (now Catholic University) in Washington D.C. graduating in June, 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in commercial science.

On Nov. 13, 1954 she married Eugene Martin Wiseman in Kansas City, Mo., with many Burge family members in the wedding party and in attendance. They honeymooned in Havana, Cuba before returning to Washington, D.C. In the summer of 1963 Gene accepted an appointment with the U.S. Army Advisory Group in Seoul, Korea and Betty accepted a position with the Eighth U.S. Army. The time in Korea gave them an opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East. They returned to Washington D.C. to continue their respective careers with the Federal Government. In 1975 Eugene and Betty both retired and bought a home in Bradenton, Fla., on Village Green golf course. That was the beginning of Betty’s second career, a very successful golfer as well as an avid bridge and poker player. She continued to play golf several times a week until she was 83 years old. Gene and Betty also continued to travel enjoying many cruises and trips abroad including a return to visit Hong Kong in 1992.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, husband Eugene, their infant son Eugene Farley Wiseman; brothers James, Fred, Woody, Wayne; sisters Faye Gambel, Wilma Hughes, Garland Fish, Nina McMahon, Margaret Whitt, and three nieces. She is survived by her brother and his wife, William Farley Burge II and Sarah Cook Burge of Houston, Texas; her sister-in-law Shirley Hesse Burge of Denver, Colo.; and ten nieces and nephews.

At Betty’s request there will be no services. She will be placed next to her late husband at Skyway Cemetery in Palmetto, Fla. Donations may be made to the Linda Burge Bramlett (niece) memorial scholarship, Rice University, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, the Jackie Whitt Bundy (niece) memorial scholarship, Heartland Council of the Institute of Management Accountants, 10 Paragon Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645, or the donor’s local chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America.