Bette Coulson

Bette Lenore Sunderlin was born to Howard and Florence Sunderlin in State Center, Iowa on January 20, 1920. After graduating from State Center High School, she attended Iowa Wesleyan College and graduated with a degree in Music Education. Subsequently, she taught in Gibson, IA, Morning Sun, IA, and Wilton, IA, where she met Roger Coulson, whom she married in 1949. They spent the first 18 years of their married life in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Roger taught Educational Psychology at Butler University. Roger and Bette had two daughters, Sally and Jane, who were born and raised in Indianapolis. In 1968, the family moved to Ames for Roger to head the Child Development Department at Iowa State University.

Bette was passionate about education, music, puzzles and games, and college football. She gave private piano lessons to hundreds of children, first in Indianapolis and later in Ames until 1997. She served as a Girl Scout leader and Girl Scout chorus director in Indianapolis. Bette was active in Collegiate United Methodist Church in Ames including among other things her involvement in UMW, as a choir director, and in handbell choir.

Most of all, Bette loved people. Roger and Bette frequently hosted friends in their home for extended time periods, including many friends from other countries. They hosted visitors from Malaysia, India, South Africa, Nigeria, Colombia, Japan, among others, often for months at a time. They frequently entertained college students in their home and even provided housing for several Iowa State students for years at a time. They made friends from all over the United States when they traveled, and these friends came from afar to enjoy their hospitality.

Of course, most of all, Bette loved her precious grandchildren and great-grandchildren and they loved her dearly as well.

Bette lived at Northridge Village in Ames for the last four years of her life where the staff thoroughly enjoyed her, especially her upbeat attitude and wit. The steady parade of visitors of all ages while she was there (until the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed visitation) was a testimonial to the hospitality and love she had extended to so many people of all ages throughout her life.