Betty L. Bancroft
Betty L. Bancroft traveled far from home many times in her life, but she always stayed committed to her family.
“She was well-traveled and enjoyed seeing other cultures and experiencing new things,” her daughter Cyndy Crider said.
Crider recalled a stay with her mother in a haunted castle in Ireland, which Bancroft had won through exemplary service with auto dealerships.
"We didn't get to see a ghost, but it was a gorgeous, beautiful castle," Crider said. "Mother enjoyed that very much."
Mrs. Bancroft, of Columbia, died Friday, Feb. 5, 2010, in her home. She was 76.
She was born March 2, 1933, in Kansas City to Ralph E. and Dorthea (Dickerson) Lea.
Mrs. Bancroft traveled in Europe and North America and loved sunny locales, Crider said. She had a particular affinity for cruises. She also liked to read and was fond of casinos.
Mrs. Bancroft had a career spanning 50 years in the automobile business, starting in Columbia, then in Florida. She worked for John Riddick Motors and Perry Chevrolet in Columbia before moving to Gainesville, Fla., in 1973, where she later started her own dealership.
Mrs. Bancroft was ranked among the top 10 automotive accountants in the U.S., and with her dealership, Betty Bancroft Chevrolet, became one of only two female dealers in the area.
Mrs. Bancroft's son Ron Bartel, who owns Columbia Auto Option, shared a love of the auto industry with his mother.
Upon retiring, Bancroft moved back to Columbia in 2003 to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Crider said her mother enjoyed being with her granddaughters and, before returning to Columbia, took them on a train ride through Canada.
Mrs. Bancroft is survived by her son, Bartel, of Columbia; two daughters, Crider of Chesterfield and Nancy Cooper of Manchester, Mo.; a sister, Nina Fuller of Fla.; three granddaughters, Betsy Bartel, Christin Cooper and Ashley Cooper; and three great-granddaughters.
Her brother, Doyle Lea, died earlier.
“There’s a great many friends who will miss her,” Crider said.
"She was very good to us."
Services will be held in Union, Mo.
Memorials may be given to the Cancer Research Center, 3501 Berrywood, Columbia, MO 65201.
Condolences may be sent to the family at parkerfuneralservice.com.
