Betty Meiners

Betty Meiners, much-loved and admired by her family and many friends, left this life and went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 27th after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Betty was born August 17, 1924, to Harlow and Mildred Fuller in Syracuse, NY. She graduated from Hope College, Holland, Michigan, in 1947; and from the University of Denver with a Masters in Library Science in 1965. The Meiners family moved to Las Cruces in 1959 from upstate New York for the health of Betty's husband, Rev. Harry Meiners, Jr., The kinder weather in Las Cruces was better for his health after he was stricken with polio and confined to a wheelchair in 1955. Many would know Betty as the Librarian at Las Cruces High School, where she helped students from 1962 to her retirement in 1991. She was a member of University Presbyterian Church since 1959. She was known to many for playing the harp, her love of books, and for her knitting. When she was once asked how she wanted to be remembered, she spoke of her love of teaching and books, and the wonderful experiences she has had of bringing books to children over her lifetime. As High School Librarian, Betty was a long-time member of the Association of Classroom Teachers, of Delta Kappa Gamma (an association of working and retired teachers), and frequently traveled to the legislature in Santa Fe to represent their educational interests and encourage quality education in the state. In 1985, she was presented the Distinguished Service Award by the NM Association of Classroom Teachers; and, in 2004, she was recognized as the Outstanding Unit Member for the Las Cruces Association of Educational Retirees. Betty's greatest joy was to help every student who came into her library. She collected not only books, but also ("pre-internet") articles and files of materials that students could use for papers and presentations. Her concern was that every student, no matter their motivation, background or interest, would learn to think for themselves. For those not as motivated, she shared paperbacks where she would encourage reading of varied interests