BETTY DISCHER 1929 – 2025
On February 18, 2025, Betty Jane Discher passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord at the age of 95. Betty was a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
A gathering of family and friends took place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 24, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1530 E. Washington Ave., in Navasota. A prayer service followed at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services were held 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 25, at Trinity Lutheran Church with Rev. Don Kasper officiating. Interment will follow in Oakland Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Lindley-Robertson-Holt Funeral Home.
Betty was born to Adolph Fredrick and Clara Branson Zeinert Halbardier on September 16, 1929 in Macdona, Texas, just west of San Antonio. In order to support her family, Betty left high school to work during her teen years. Later in life, she earned her GED and attended numerous colleges and specialized training courses in order to achieve her dream of being a preschool director.
She married Gerald R. Discher on January 27, 1951, and within several days of their marriage, Gerald deployed with the Air Force to Nome, Alaska, to train U.S. troops in survival, thereby cutting their honeymoon short.
Betty devoted much of her life to teaching and mentoring children. She started her teaching career by partnering with Mrs. Muriel Bingham in 1966 to start the first preschool in Navasota, primarily to educate their own children and then others in the community. They named the school Jack and Jill Preschool, and for the life of the school, it was housed in Mrs. Bingham’s home. Later, it was expanded and renamed to Jack and Jill’s Children Center/Bingham Hill School where Betty worked until it closed in 1990. She then moved to the Children’s Center in Navasota where she worked for seven more years. In 1997, she founded Trinity Lutheran Preschool where she served as the Director for 18 years. Betty also taught Sunday school throughout her life and volunteered most summers as VBS Director. In honor of her love and dedication to the children of Navasota, Mayor Bert Miller proclaimed June 13, 2015 as “Betty Discher Day.”
Betty was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church for 60 years where her husband served as pastor for 19 of those years. She enjoyed attending church, crocheting, working on word searches in her puzzle books, and spending time with her loved ones. Betty delighted in the fact that she was able to live out her earthly life in her own home, assisted by her devoted and faithful caregivers, Gayle, Debbie, Melba, and Marie, as well as many others that provided love and care over the years.
Betty is preceded in death by her parents, Adolph Frederick Halbardier and Clara Branson Zeinert; her brother, Floyd Halbardier; her sister, Ethel Mae Lenz; her husband, Rev. Gerald Discher; and her son in law, Wayne Parker.
Left to cherish her memory is her brother, Arthur Halbardier; her loving children, Clary Parker, Cindy Martin (Robert), and Stephen Discher (Carolyn); grandchildren, Lee Parker (Sarah), Colby Parker (Madisyn), Carly Foster (Tyler), Adam Martin (Sarah), Amanda Grigsby (Jeremy), Annalisa Karli (Russell), Alizabeth Martin, Lauren, Lexie, and Drew Discher; and great-grandchildren, Joshua, Betsy, and Clara Parker, Charlee, Brantley, Bentley, Cooper, and Bryley Parker, Hudson Foster, Paul, Tyler, Brooke, and Tristian Martin, Emily and Kanin Grigsby, and Tanner and Trace Karli.
Her family and friends take comfort in knowing that she is reunited with her late family members and husband, who she dearly missed and spoke of daily since his passing in 2010. Betty’s favorite saying of Jerry’s was “Every day is a good day, some are just better than others.” In that spirit, she lived a full life of service to her Lord.
For those that desire, in lieu of usual remembrances, the family has suggested memorials in Betty's name to Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool, 1530 E. Washington Ave., Navasota, TX 77868.