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Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Balliot, 83

Betty (Yearout) Balliot, 83, passed away on July 15, 2019, at the Schneidmiller Hospice House in Coeur d’Alene. She died from natural causes, with family by her side. She was the last surviving sibling.

Betty had five children. She is preceded in death by her son, Dan Yearout; her daughter, Debra “Tootie” (Samsel) Yearout; and her husband, Dalbert Yearout. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Diana (Yearout) Farquhar and Mike Farquhar; her son, David Yearout and Jon and Dolores Borley. Betty had nine grandchildren: Angela, Heather, Katie, Ian, Ryan, Aaron, Colleen, Jade and Huntre; 13 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

Betty was born on Dec. 27, 1935, in Tucson, Ariz., to William and Mildred Balliot. Her father passed away when she was 4 years old while working on the Hoover Dam in Boulder City. Her mother, two brothers, and sister moved to California, then Colorado, before settling in Coeur d’Alene in 1945.

She met her husband, Dalbert Yearout, while she was in high school, in Coeur d’Alene. She attended the Catholic Academy there. She was married for 25 years to Dalbert.

Betty moved to San Diego in 1979. There she got a job at the San Diego Courthouse Probate Department. After a few years, she was promoted to Probate Supervisor of North County, San Diego. She loved her job. In 1992, she retired after 20 years due to vision impairment and moved back to Coeur d’Alene.

Some of Betty’s interests were humor (she was known best for her quick wit), music and theater. She attended concerts and saw Elton John, David Bowie and Bob Dylan, among others. She also went to many theatre and trivia shows and enjoyed being on the show ‘Jeopardy.’ She attended many professional football and baseball games; the Bears and Padres were her favorite teams.

She was a devout Catholic and would often go to the St. Thomas Catholic Church during the week. She loved animals; cats in particular. She would feed all of the neighborhood cats, even though they weren’t hers. In her 70s, she would do the Polar Bear Plunge and float the Coeur d’Alene River with family. She went on several cruises and had seen much of the world. Betty was always game for a trip or adventure.

She was the first to offer help and gave countless donations to her church, animal shelters, fire department, police department, St. Jude’s, etc. Betty never forgot a birthday or Christmas for family and many friends. She had an extraordinary memory of exact times, places and people. She loved to read anything she got her hands on. She would always lend an ear, and you would always feel better after talking with her. Her humor, intelligence, kindness and giving are what people will remember about her. She will be forever missed.

Per Betty’s wishes, memorials may be sent to Hospice of North Idaho, 2290 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815, and the Kootenai Humane Society, 11650 N. Ramsey Road, Hayden, ID 83835.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2019, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 919 E. Indiana Ave., Coeur d’Alene, with a luncheon to follow.

Yates Funeral Home is entrusted with final arrangements. Please visit Betty’s online memorial and sign her guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.