Betty Harvey

Betty Jean Harvey, nee Hazewinkel, 92 of Hermitage, Tennessee passed away peacefully surrounded by family on August 25, 2025. Betty was born October 11,1932, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and spent her entire life in service to Jesus and others. She worked in her father’s Galewood hardware store and graduated from Grand Rapids School of the Bible in 1953. For several years she worked at Bethel Children’s home in Kentucky before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she worked as a receptionist and served missionally in her off hours as a camp counselor during her summers. In 1957 Betty finally settled in Chicago, Illinois to start and raise her family. 

Betty loved playing her accordion and telling others about Jesus through Bible stories. She was passionate about genealogy and would spend hours hunting for Hazewinkels et al. all around the world to add to the multiple family trees she voraciously maintained. As her family grew, she lovingly adjusted her role as grandmother and then great-grandmother. She devotedly accepted everyone and loved step-grands and in-laws the same as blood relatives. Spending her retirement years in Tennessee, she focused her energy on her favorite pastimes: puzzles, knitting, travel, and Rummikub. With her first iPhone, computer games were added to the list. 

She was preceded in death by her parents Tillie and Jacob Hazewinkel, her four brothers Albert (Jean) Hazewinkel, Gerald Hazewinkel, Robert (Charlotte) Hazewinkel and John (Lois) Hazewinkel and her beloved grandson, Timothy Jansen. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Robert Harvey, and their four children: Beckie (Chris Oxley), Bobbie (Jack Mazzucchelli), Bill (Marge) Harvey, and Barb (Dave) Hovater. She was very proud of her nine grandchildren: Ryan (Victoria) Oxley, Courtnie (Lucas) Blanchette, Cara (Povilas) Bikmanas, Matt Jansen, the late Tim Jansen, Steve (Ana) Engratt, Chris (Corey) LaBounty, Betsie (Levi) Shriner, Jacob Hovater and even more thrilled to receive 15 great-grandchildren: Nicole Shea-Engratt, Lauren Shea-Engratt, Vicky Engratt, Brandon Engratt, Adrianne Engratt, Case LaBounty, Asher LaBounty, Jax Blanchette, Wyn Blanchette, Jet Blanchette, Nya Blanchette, Atika Bikmanas, Dominyk Bikmanas, Leon Bikmanas and Ronin Oxley.  When you hear the songs, He Touched Me and I’ll Fly Away, remember Betty.

Graveside service and interment will take place on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EST at Rosedale Memorial Park, 50 Lake Michigan Drive, NW Grand Rapids, MI 49544.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL for the Music Department. To make your donation, please call (877) 376-2194 or e-mail drm@moody.edu.