Betheny JoAnn McDaniel, 78, of Clinton, Iowa, passed away peacefully after a long illness on Thursday, November 6, 2025, surrounded by family at her home. The family will greet friends and family from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Pape Funeral Home in Clinton. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 17, 2025, at Foursquare Gospel Church of the Open Door, located at 816 13th Avenue North, in Clinton. Pastor Lisa Machen will officiate. Burial will follow at St. Irenaeus Calvary Cemetery in Clinton.
Betheny was born on April 15, 1947, in Clinton, the daughter of Elmer John and Marjorie (Clark-Ketelsen) Ullrich. She graduated from Clinton High School in 1965. On October 20, 1973, Betheny was united in marriage to Gary McDaniel in Clinton. She retired from Interstate Power/Alliant Energy after 25 years of service in 2005. Betheny recently attended the Church of the Open Door and had been a long-time member of the Lyons United Methodist Church, where she served as a Sunday School teacher for 18 years and served on many various committees. Betheny’s heart and passion lived with the underprivileged and worked with many organizations to offer help, including: the Holiday Network, Hearts and Hands, Coats for Kids, RSVP, the Visually Impaired, Associate Benevolent Society, and was a Resident Advocate at Mercy Living Center North. For the last decade, Betheny was also heavily involved in the volunteer program with MercyOne Auxiliary and loved working in the hospital gift shop. She was still crocheting animals for the gift shop to the very end.
Betheny loved creating artwork and painting, knitting and crocheting, doing crafts with her grandchildren, gardening and tending to her many flowers and shrubs, mowing the acreage on her zero- turn and caring for their farm. She loved feeding and watching birds – especially hummingbirds, traveling and camping, and studying the word of God with friends. Like a true farm girl, she had a real love of nature. Every spring she enjoyed the planting of corn and soybeans as well as watching the fall harvest season. Betheny also wasn’t afraid to battle regularly with raccoons and deer trying to protect her flowers and greenery. But most of all, Betheny treasured spending time with her dear family, friends, especially her children and grandchildren. She found great peace and joy in the privilege of being able to spend her later years living on the family-farm, where she was raised. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Betheny is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 52 years, Gary McDaniel of Clinton; two sons, Doug (Andrea) McDaniel of Melbourne, Iowa, and Dennis (Cari) McDaniel of Norwalk, Iowa; two step-daughters, Deanne (Al) Davis of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and Debi (Karl) Schmitz of Madrid, Iowa; four grandchildren, Bergen, Meriden, Sydney and Brecken McDaniel; two step grandchildren, Alyssa Davis, and Austin Davis (fiancée, Courteney Duchow); one step great-grandson, Jaxson Davis; two sisters-in-law, Joyce Ketelsen of Bettendorf, Iowa, and Carolyn McDanel of Clinton, and a host of many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Betheny was preceded into eternal life by her parents; mother-in-law, Alma Hayton; half-brother, Gary Ketelsen; brother-in-law, Orian McDaniel; three sisters-in-law, Barb (Joe) Young, Elaine VanDyke, and Carol (Hans) Highstrom; two uncles, Charles Ullrich and Donald Ullrich; her sister-like cousin, Twyla Lawrence; and other extended family members including a niece, Ronda Kohrt.
Memorials in Betheny’s name may be directed to: MercyOne Auxiliary, 1410 N. 4th Street, Clinton, Iowa 52732. Please share a memory of Betheny at www.papefh.com under obituaries.