Betty Ann Miyashiro May 20, 1932 to September 15, 2023
Betty Ann Gowers Miyashiro age 91 passed away on September 15, 2023 after a long illness in Springfield, Missouri. Her parents were Harvey A. Gowers and Mary E. Greer. She was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri and graduated from Springfield High School in 1950. In 1955 she married Seikichi (Stanley) Miyashiro from Hilo, Hawaii. They met while she was working at Consumer’s (a former grocery store). Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Carson City, Nevada then to San Luis Obispo, California before finally moving to Anchorage, Alaska in December 1956. They resided there until early 1980’s where they moved to Washington State before coming back to Springfield in 1988,
During her adult years and after raising four children, she and her husband traveled to many foreign countries as well as wide variety of states within the United States. Some of the places that they traveled were in Europe traveling Vis the train system (Euro Rail), England, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Japan, Egypt & Israel, Brazil, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada.
She attended the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for many years beginning as a teenager. As the church began to change she switched to the Church of the Restoration for a few years before stopping her attendance.
For most of her life, Betty worked in her home as a “stay-at ‘home’ Mom. She worked briefly at JCPenny as well at a wholesale warehouse during her time in Anchorage, Alaska.
She was a quiet soft spoken person within a very loud boisterous family (her children and husband). However, she was also known to have a stubborn streak , She endured being in Alaska during the 1964 earthquake – a 9.2 Ritcher scale earthquake which was quite an experience for her since hadn’t experienced many earthquakes living in Springfield.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Seikichi Stanley Miyashiro, her son Eric Miyashiro and her brothers, James Gowers and Donnie Riebold, Step-brother Raymond Riebold and step-sister Freda Nightingale. She is survived by her daughter Jane (Bill) Griffith, her sons Hugh (Janet Wade) Miyashiro , Alan (Jennifer) Miyashiro, grandsons Ryan and Peter Miyashiro and step-brother Kelly (Sue) Riebold.
A graveside service will be held on September 21st at the National Cemetery on Seminole at 10 am. Her final resting place will be with her husband at the National Cemetery.