Department President 2018-2019
"Celebrating Their Service and Ours "
Betty Slagle's Bio
Betty lived the first part of her life in West Virginia with 5 younger brothers and sisters. Her parents, Dorothy and Alfred Holtzman, divorced when she was young. She was raised mostly by her maternal grandmother until she passed away when Betty was 11 years old. The children were put in a county children’s home much like our old Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Children’s Home (Knightstown Home).
When her mother remarried in 1969 they were allowed to move with her in Wellsville, Ohio. They later moved to Nappanee, Indiana when her step-father became unemployed. Both parents found employment in Nappanee and the children followed soon after.
Betty moved to Nappanee in January 1973 and married her husband Terry in November 1974. They have 2 daughters, Crystal Cloud who lives in Willis, Texas and Trisha Stuckey who lives in Elkhart, Indiana with their grandson, Anderson Stuckey.
One of Betty’s employers sponsored a bowling team. All the other ladies were members of the Auxiliary, but not Betty. The ladies asked if her father or grandfather were in service. After finding out that her mother’s service gave her eligibility. Betty joined Nappanee American Legion Auxiliary Unit 154 in 1979 for all the wrong reasons. And after a year or so decided to attend a meeting to see what the Auxiliary was all about.
Friends soon talked her into becoming their Membership Chairman – they didn’t mention that there were over 300 members in the Unit. While Betty was Chairman, the Unit hit an all time high of 452 members. And she attended her first Department Convention in 1986 when Lavelle Black was Department President and has not missed a Convention since.
Betty has held all of the offices and many of the chairmanships in her Unit except Treasurer. She and 3 other ladies kept the Unit going for several years with very low attendance at Unit meetings. During this time, Betty served as President and part of the time as Secretary also. Betty held the office of Unit President for at total of ____ years. The 4 members who kept the Unit running were later given Honorary Life Memberships and presented Gold Cards. Betty is currently serving as 2nd Vice President and Membership Chairman.
She has served as District President 2 times – in 1991-92 under President Louise Loyd and again in 1994-95 under Karen Lowe. Betty has served all other District offices and many District Chairmanship over the years and is currently serving as Leadership Chairman.
Betty served as Northern Vice President and Membership Chairman for the Department in 1996-97 for Past President Rosey Newman and Historian for Jean Buyer. After losing her mother in 1997, she stepped aside to grieve and get her health back in order.
She made several attempts to run for office again, but because of a Standing Rule, could not begin as Historian until the Standing Rule was removed. Then life happened, but Betty continued to hold Department Chairmanships when asked – including Americanism, Auxiliary Emergency Fund, Education (3 years), Hoosier Girls State (3 years), Legislative, Merit (2 years), Public Relations, Strategic Planning and Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation.
Betty was elected Historian for 2014-2015, Chaplain for 2015-2016, Vice President for 2016-2017, President Elect 2017-2018 and is finally serving as your Department for 2018-2019.
Betty may have joined for the wrong reason, but obviously stayed for all the right reasons.
I am very proud to be serving the members of the Department of Indiana, and I’m looking forward to us having a wonderful year.
Betty lived the first part of her life in West Virginia with 5 younger brothers and sisters. Her parents, Dorothy and Alfred Holtzman, divorced when she was young. She was raised mostly by her maternal grandmother until she passed away when Betty was 11 years old. The children were put in a county children’s home much like our old Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Children’s Home (Knightstown Home).
When her mother remarried in 1969 they were allowed to move with her in Wellsville, Ohio. They later moved to Nappanee, Indiana when her step-father became unemployed. Both parents found employment in Nappanee and the children followed soon after.
Betty moved to Nappanee in January 1973 and married her husband Terry in November 1974. They have 2 daughters, Crystal Cloud who lives in Willis, Texas and Trisha Stuckey who lives in Elkhart, Indiana with their grandson, Anderson Stuckey.
One of Betty’s employers sponsored a bowling team. All the other ladies were members of the Auxiliary, but not Betty. The ladies asked if her father or grandfather were in service. After finding out that her mother’s service gave her eligibility. Betty joined Nappanee American Legion Auxiliary Unit 154 in 1979 for all the wrong reasons. And after a year or so decided to attend a meeting to see what the Auxiliary was all about.
Friends soon talked her into becoming their Membership Chairman – they didn’t mention that there were over 300 members in the Unit. While Betty was Chairman, the Unit hit an all time high of 452 members. And she attended her first Department Convention in 1986 when Lavelle Black was Department President and has not missed a Convention since.
Betty has held all of the offices and many of the chairmanships in her Unit except Treasurer. She and 3 other ladies kept the Unit going for several years with very low attendance at Unit meetings. During this time, Betty served as President and part of the time as Secretary also. Betty held the office of Unit President for at total of ____ years. The 4 members who kept the Unit running were later given Honorary Life Memberships and presented Gold Cards. Betty is currently serving as 2nd Vice President and Membership Chairman.
She has served as District President 2 times – in 1991-92 under President Louise Loyd and again in 1994-95 under Karen Lowe. Betty has served all other District offices and many District Chairmanship over the years and is currently serving as Leadership Chairman.
Betty served as Northern Vice President and Membership Chairman for the Department in 1996-97 for Past President Rosey Newman and Historian for Jean Buyer. After losing her mother in 1997, she stepped aside to grieve and get her health back in order.
She made several attempts to run for office again, but because of a Standing Rule, could not begin as Historian until the Standing Rule was removed. Then life happened, but Betty continued to hold Department Chairmanships when asked – including Americanism, Auxiliary Emergency Fund, Education (3 years), Hoosier Girls State (3 years), Legislative, Merit (2 years), Public Relations, Strategic Planning and Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation.
Betty was elected Historian for 2014-2015, Chaplain for 2015-2016, Vice President for 2016-2017, President Elect 2017-2018 and is finally serving as your Department for 2018-2019.
Betty may have joined for the wrong reason, but obviously stayed for all the right reasons.
I am very proud to be serving the members of the Department of Indiana, and I’m looking forward to us having a wonderful year.