Betty L Kendrick AKA - Elisabetta L. Kendrick

MOUNT HOREB - Betty L. Kendrick, 89, of Mount Horeb, passed away at home in the BeeHive Homes of Mount Horeb on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, with her daughter by her side and friends all around. Elisabetta Luigia Romano Nicoletta (Betty) Perna was born to Rocco Luigi (Lewis R.) Perna Esq. Attorney at Law and Elizabetta Nicoletta (Lizzie) Romano on Jan. 4, 1933, in Hazleton, Pa.

After graduating from the Hazleton Senior High School, Betty attended Pennsylvania State University. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1954 and a Master’s Degree in Art Education in 1959. She studied under the guidance of Viktor Lowenfeld, a well-known art educator at Penn State. He had a strong influence on her career as both an artist and art teacher. Dr. Lowenfeld was a mentor for both Betty Perna and her future husband, Dr. Dale Kendrick. Dale and Betty met at Penn State while they both pursued graduate degrees.

Her first teaching position in 1954 was as the Arts supervisor in the Manheim Township School District (Neffsville) Lancaster County, Pa. After receiving her Master's Degree she was an instructor of Art at the Abington Commonwealth Campus, Pennsylvania State University, Elberton, Pa. During those years she also taught children's Saturday Art Classes at the Settlement Music School in South Philadelphia, Pa. During the summer she was a camp counselor at Camp Glen Brook, Marlborough, N.H. The children were from the Rudolph Steiner, Waldorf School, of New York City. In 1960 to 1962 she accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Art at the Slippery Rock State College. During this time she continued her association with the Penn State Extension Division. She drove into various towns in western Pennsylvania to teach classroom teachers on how to conduct art classes.

On Aug. 4, 1962, Dale and Betty were married in the Lancaster County Quaker Meeting House. Betty was a member of the Wider Quaker Fellowship. This is an International Fellowship of Quaker beliefs, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. By this time Dale was the department chair of the Art Department of the La Crosse State College (later to become University of Wisconsin - La Crosse) He helped move all of her art supplies from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin. Dale always said he really married her because her dowry included a working Black and Decker drill and a hundred pounds of red clay.  

Dale and Betty opened Behind the Brewery Art Gallery in 1969. This 42-year run of the gallery provided many art happenings, nurtured many art careers, and promoted artists and lovers of art to all of La Crosse and the surrounding communities. A series of summer art classes was developed, called Art Impacts. These included art classes for children and adults. Betty enjoyed teaching clay, batik, and Ukrainian Egg decorating techniques. She shared her love for creating art and provided the skills and means to others so that they could enjoy making their own art. Betty also taught for 10 years in the Continuing Education classes at the UW-La Crosse Summer World for Children. Betty’s stitchery, batiks, drawings, and mixed media have been exhibited in many art invitationals, galleries, museums and exhibits. Her work belongs to both public and private collections.

Betty and Dale enjoyed traveling to Egypt, Greece, Italy and Turkey. She was constantly drawing or scribbling out sketches as she walked a tour site or sat on tour buses. She was fond of describing that she traveled with a sketchbook glued to her left hand and a Pilot pen gripped in her right hand. Over 45 filled sketchbooks document her travels. (If anyone reading this was lucky enough to travel with me and Dale and would like a photograph from your adventures, I might just have what you are looking for. Ask Dunnell.)

The bagpipe band started in 1975 by six guys and Betty, sitting around a table blowing on practice chanters. These practice sessions did develop into a crowd-pleasing bagpipe band as they performed and marched in many local events and parades. Playing the pipes and marching were Betty’s lifeforce. She developed many close friendships with the pipe band members and their spouses, families, and friends.

The La Crosse Public Library played a large part in Betty's community passions. She was proud to be a lifelong member of the Friends of the La Crosse Public Library; she was the volunteer coordinator for a number of years in the Library Bookshop and spent many hours helping with Book Sales. The library honored her with the founders award in 2007.

Betty was an avid gardener. She cherished the friends and fellow gardeners in the Washburn Neighborhood Gardens. Thank you for the raised gardening beds so Betty could plant more Kale. Betty was an enthusiastic member of The Mermaids. Knitting. Meg Swanson Knit Camps. Drumming. Cooking Italian Feasts. Boathouse. Lake Arbutus Camping. Zihuatanejo, México. Her Summer Son Dennis Sipiorski. In addition to all her passions and interests, she was a supportive and loving wife and mother. She adored her grandchildren and had fun planning crazy Camp Grandma Weekends.  

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Dale Kendrick; her son, Roch Kendrick; and her siblings, Marie Domenica (Mary), Rosie Marie, Nicolas Joseph, baby Michael, Anna Marie Carmella, Michael Archangel, John Baptist, Caesar Dominick, Daniel Vito Roman Albert, and Maria Vincenza Emmanuelia (Jayne).

She is survived by her daughter, Dunnell Joli Kendrick; her granddaughters, Finnley Joli Parker and Riley Winn Parker; her daughter-in-law, Beth Blahut; her grandsons, Roman Dale Kendrick and Leo Oliver Kendrick; and many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

A special thank you and love to all of her caregivers at the BeeHive Homes of Mount Horeb. You made her past three years a Grand Finale. Thank you for providing professionalism, kindness, attention to details, fun, knowledge, humor, and love to Betty in Room 1. Thank you to the Agrace Hospice caregivers for the unconditional care of Betty and her family. She might not have liked the ‘cares' at the moment but she will like you tomorrow. And remember to sing, “I love you a bushel and peck and a hug around the neck. Yes I do do do," right before you say, "Goodbye."

Cremation assisted by Gunderson Funeral Home. Betty asks that in early January of 2023 a Quaker Meeting, silent gathering of friends, and a party take place in La Crosse. Betty requests that memorials can be made either to the La Crosse Community Foundation (for the Betty and Dale Kendrick Scholarship or to the Roch Kendrick Memorial Fishing Derby) or they may be made to the La Crosse Public Library Archives Department. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Camacho Mount Horeb

Funeral & Cremation Care

500 N. Eighth St.

(608) 437-5077