Betty B. Mackie

Betty (Benzing) Mackie of New Holland, PA went home to be with the Lord on December 22, 2025, at the age of 103 years.

She was born in Centuria, Wisconsin on October 14, 1922, to the late Arthur Monroe Benzing and Annettie (Nichols) Benzing and was the sister of her beloved brothers, the late Robert Winston Benzing and the late Keith Hollis Benzing. She was the devoted wife of the late Donald William Mackie with whom she shared 75 years of loving marriage. Betty is survived by her daughter Brooke Ann Mackie-Ketcham of South Hamilton, MA, and son David John Mackie of Glenmoore, PA, and four grandchildren Keith Jai Ketcham, Brittany Shayamali Ketcham-Rodriguez, Michelle Lisette Ketcham, and Christopher Mackie and Brian Thomas Mackie and six great grandchildren Anthony Jeremiah Ketcham, Laina Mae Ketcham, Wyatt Jai Ketcham, Finn Mackie, Kade Mackie, Kira Mackie, Ava Mackie, and Noah Mackie.

Betty was raised on farms in rural Wisconsin and Iowa during the Great Depression. She was a student in several one room schoolhouses. Eventually she taught in a few to earn money to finish college. She graduated from Monona High school in Iowa and Elkader Junior College in Iowa. She attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa where she earned a BA degree in Home Economics and married the love of her life Donald Mackie, who had just returned from his military duty in World War II. Betty was employed by Boone County Extension Service, a substitute teacher in the Chicago Public Schools, and a product instructor for Thor Corporation in Chicago until her husband was called up as an activated Army Reservist during the Korean War. They travelled throughout the country with the military. After the Army, their lives were on the move again as AT&T transferred the family to many locations.

They made their homes in Prairie Village KS., Kirkwood MO, Albuquerque NM, White Plains NY, Fairfax, VA, Armonk NY, and Warren NJ. Finally, they moved to Garden Spot Senior Living Community in New Holland PA.

With each move, she found the grace and tenacity and work ethic to start anew. She had witnessed strength and determination from her years on the farm during the Depression. She brought color and beauty to every home she lived in. She had abilities in many areas including interior decorating, cooking, recipe development for a family cookbook project , gardening, sewing, antique furniture restoration, volunteering as a troop leader with the Girl Scouts, sewing costumes for local high school plays, leading women's Sunday School classes and neighborhood Bible studies, and maintaining a healthy family home in a warm and welcoming home.

Betty's attitude was to work hard and play to win. And for 103 years, she did her best. She said she never knew a time in her childhood that she didn't know and love the Lord Jesus.

Of all her accomplishments in life, education, faith, hope, and love were her mainstays.