Elizabeth A. Dallman's Obituary
Elizabeth Arnold Dallman, aka Betty, aka The Matriarch of Macatawa, died peacefully surrounded by family in Muskegon, Michigan, on 6 April 2020.
Born on 30 January 1927 in St. Louis, Missouri to Elizabeth Welsh Mullen Arnold and Lieutenant William Howard Arnold (aka Duke, retired as a three star Lieutenant General). Predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Lieutenant Colonel James Howard Dallman (Dipper); her son, James Howard Dallman Jr., MD (Jimbo); her loving sister and best friend, Emily Cocke Arnold Clancy; her brother, William Howard Arnold Jr., PhD; and her granddaughter, Jessica Elizabeth Grubb.
Strong willed and ahead of her time, she was an Army brat and an Army wife. She lived all over the US and the world from China to Austria and Germany. She managed the family household for 24 years in Lake Forest, Illinois until she and Dipper moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1989 in order to be closer to her beloved summer sanctuary – Macatawa, Michigan. As a young adult, she excelled in academics and sports at Villa Duchesne in St. Louis and at Georgetown Visitation in Washington D.C. During World War II, she graduated as the class president from Villa Duchesne, was honored the prestigious ‘Ethics’ award, and volunteered as a candy striper in various hospitals. Betty always wanted a big family and was blessed with seven children after marrying Dipper in 1949 at Fort Myer, Arlington, VA.
Betty was never bound by convention – whether in her role as a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, spiritual counselor, or a woman of deep faith. Especially with five strong willed daughters, she recognized no gender disparity in our house. People were expected to see the needs of others and be leaders, not followers. She was very proud to have been elected the first woman president of the Macatawa Park Cottagers’ Association.
She is survived by her brother Colonel Joseph Coleman Arnold (Mary nee Sethness); her children - Elizabeth Welsh Dallman, Mary Dallman Boyer MD (Robert), Katherine Dallman Grubb (David), Janet Cleiland Dallman, Emily Josephine Dallman (Harold Thidemann), and William Arnold Dallman (Lucille); her grandchildren - Katherine, Jennifer, John, James, Emma, Paul, Virginia, Matthew, David, George, Hannah, Ellie, Elizabeth, Eleanor, and Harry; her great grandchildren - Audrey and Marion; and her daughter-in-law - Beverly Dallman.
She was happiest in Macatawa, surrounded by her family and friends in “Stack Arms” - the family cottage for nearly a century. Betty was eternally grateful for her maternal grandparents (Bessie and Old Joe Mullen) to have encountered Macatawa and have purchased “Stack Arms”. One of our fondest memories is of Mother at the head of the dinner table, with family, elbows, and chairs crammed together ending grace with, “Thank God for Family, Thank God for Macatawa. Amen.”
Betty knew she had a blessed life and was always finding ways to support those in need. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to support those in need by supporting the charity of your choice in memory of Betty Dallman. Don’t be skimpy, she is watching from heaven…
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