Bethene E. Pulliam, age 91, passed away peacefully of age-related causes at Ontario, on Jan. 19, 2022. 

She was born at home on her parents’ farm in Smith County, Kan. on Aug. 22, 1930, the only daughter and third child of Frank and Mary (Van Cleave) McNealy. This blue-eyed, blonde joined older brothers, Delbert and Forrest (Frosty). Her younger brother, Ben completed the family four years later. 

The dust bowl and the Depression were hard on this young family, so they packed up and emigrated west. While on their way to join family in the Teton Valley in central Washington they stopped in Emmett, Idaho to stay with Mary’s uncle, Oliver Gardner. Work was abundant in the area, so the family stayed. During high school Bethene worked in the orchards, picked strawberries, and cleaned houses for spending money. Her mother taught her to sew and cook. 

Bethene excelled at school but there was no money for college. She graduated from Emmett High School in 1948. Later that year she married William E. Nichols. To that marriage a son, William, was born. The marriage did not last, and Bethene went to work in Boise at Idaho Typewriter Exchange where she kept books and performed other office tasks. Bookkeeping would be her primary occupation throughout her working years. In Boise she also worked at the trust department for the Bank of Idaho, and Friden Office Equipment. 

In 1961 she married Melvin Pulliam, gaining a daughter, Terry, in the process. Later she and Mel welcomed another son, J, to the family. In February 1965, the family moved to Seattle but six months later returned to Boise. In 1972 Mel and Bethene bought an interest in a General Motors dealership at Burns. They purchased the rest of the dealership within five years but had to close it in 1981 when high interest rates made it impossible to turn a profit. Over the next decade she and Mel would move to Kennewick, Wash., Fruitland, Idaho, back to Burns, then back to Kennewick but eventually they settled in Ontario, where they both retired. Mel developed Alzheimer’s disease and died in 2008.

After Mel’s death, Bethene met Dennis Cornwall and the two of them enjoyed several years of dancing, fishing, golf, and working together in their Medicare supplement insurance business.

Bethene learned to golf while living in Burns and she enjoyed the game; especially the many friendships she gained at the golf courses where she was a member. She continued to play until declining health kept her from being able to play. But she still enjoyed getting out to the course even if that meant she could only ride around in the cart.

Our mother was a beautiful, strong willed, often opinionated, loving, hardworking, intelligent woman. She was an excellent cook, a good dancer, an immaculate housekeeper and fabulous hostess; and someone who loved chocolate and sweets. Her handwriting looked like it had been taken straight from the pages of a Palmer method textbook. And she could worry like no one else. But above all, she loved her family and friends well.

Bethene was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, her husband, Mel, and grandson, Travis Wheeler. She is survived by her sons, Bill Nichols (Pam) and J Pulliam (Marjorie); daughter, Terry Houston (Ken); granddaughters, Raelynn Pulliam, Kelsey Nichols, Natasha Pulliam and Cami Nichols; and great-grandsons, Eli Nichols and Malachi Louis. 

At her request, her urn will be placed alongside her husband Mel at the Emmett Cemetery. Memorial services will be Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Worldvision, www.worldvision.org .