Betty Horst

Betty Ann Horst, 96, of Davenport, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf, Iowa.

A Celebration of Life for Betty will be on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport, Iowa. The family will greet friends at 11:00 am; a memorial service will be held at 12:00 Noon, followed by private burial in Davenport Memorial Park. The Rev. Christopher Potter will officiate.

Contributions in Betty’s memory may be given to Friends of Vander Veer, Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, or a charity of your choice.

Betty Ann Horst was born on August 28, 1928, in Davenport, a daughter of Herman J. and Emma M. (Dannenfeldt) Horst. Betty grew up in Davenport, Iowa with her brothers Allen and Bob. She graduated from Davenport High School; and went on to attend Augustana College and later graduated from the University of Arizona – Tucson, with degrees in Engineering and Music.

Music was especially important to Betty, she was an accomplished trumpet player, beginning in her teens. She played in band and symphonic orchestras throughout her academic career at all the schools she attended, often as first chair in the section. When living in Tucson she also played with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. She loved advanced mathematics, taking extra classes when time permitted, and was never without a Sudoku puzzle with her hot cocoa every morning.

Betty was passionate about flowering plants, especially orchids. She continued to maintain her greenhouse into her nineties and regularly visited garden centers and regional greenhouses. She dedicated many years of volunteer service to the Friends of Vander Veer Botanical Gardens.

Following her father’s death, Betty owned and operated her family’s longtime downtown Davenport business, Horst Motor Supply, alongside her brother, Bob, until its closing in 2002.

Betty’s steadfast devotion to her Christian Science faith shaped every facet of her life. Not only was Bible Study a daily ritual, but the values she embraced through her spiritual practice guided her through challenging times.

Betty is survived and fondly remembered by her nieces and nephew: Karen Brooke, Davenport, Nancy Poyneer, Bettendorf, Sandy Laughlin, Davenport, Kris Smith, Muscatine, and Dave (Kathy) Horst, Davenport as well as many great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Allen (Aideen) Horst and Robert Horst, and former sister-in-law Mary Horst.

The family is deeply grateful to the many friends and caregivers that made it possible for Betty to live independently the last years of her life; her Parkwood neighbors, DeAnna of Comfort Keepers, her friend Sherry, Helen of Meals on Wheels, the Staff at Harmony, Bettendorf, Meadowview of Davenport, and MercyOne Genesis Hospice.