Bettina Walls of Kansas City, MO, passed away on March 13, 2026, at her Tiffany Springs memory care home. She valiantly endured Parkinson’s disease for many years, and more recently, dementia started taking its toll on her mind. She continued to live life fighting two difficult conditions due to her love of her family.
Bettina was born to Charles (Pete) and Betty Elliott in Norman, Oklahoma, on October 25, 1944, and she was never given a middle name, much to her chagrin. After graduating from Jefferson City High School, she attended the University of Missouri prior to transferring to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO, where she met her husband, Barry Robert Walls.
Bettina and Barry started a family and had two wonderfully-awesome but obnoxiously-rambunctious boys - Michael Andrew Walls (Kansas City, MO) and Brian Christopher Walls (Cape Coral, FL), with just under three years separating them in age. Those two were typical boys, playing outside until dark and often antogonizing each other into an argument or fight. But through all those fights that were indeed met with discipline, Bettina always loved her boys immensely and was proud to “show them off” to anyone who would listen. She attended every football game, basketball game, track meet or any other activity involving her boys, and they felt her love and support always.
Bettina’s boys finally matured, settled down and provided “Mimi” with four grandchildren whom she loved very much - Jordyn and Lauryn (from Chris) and Alison and Nate (from Mike). Mimi also loved her two daughter-in-laws, TIffany (Chris) and Laurie (Mike), who always made time for her and included her in so many life events.
Bettina had a small army of great friends, and she found so much joy in hosting them at her house where she would conjure up a new recipe or she would go out to eat with them over a glass of wine and chips and salsa. Her friends were plentiful, and they loved her like family. One of the many reasons people loved Bettina was because of her wicked sense of humor, which defines why she was holding out from passing until the timing was deemed just right by her - Friday the 13th.
There are no memorial services for Bettina, as she used to consistently tell her two sons that they would NOT put together a service for her, no matter the circumstances. She was adamant and consistent about this choice, so the boys always promised to honor her wishes. Although services will not be held for everyone to hear about what an outstanding mother, grandmother and friend she was, she will be missed by many.
Plans will be to bury her cremains in the Woodlawn Cemetery, 701 S. Noland Road, Independence, MO, 64050, where she will someday be next to her cousin who was also a great friend, JoAnn Schlueter.
