Kaliteyo Betty Lee (Sanders) Burroughs

© Tahlequah Daily Press Tahlequah, Oklahoma June 06, 2012

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

TAHLEQUAH – Kaliteyo Betty Lee (Sanders) Burroughs was born June 11, 1920, in Porum, and grew up in Tahlequah. She passed from this life on May 22, 2012, only a few weeks from her 92nd birthday.

Her parents were Charlotte Mayes Sanders and Robert L. Sanders, both original enrollees of the Cherokee Nation and both attended Cherokee Seminaries where they met and married.

Betty was working at the War Department in Washington, D.C., when Pearl Harbor happened and World War II began. Being in the middle of all that activity at the nation's capital was very exciting, and she had some amazing memories and stories about that time in her life. One of her favorite things she experienced was when the movie stars came to the War Department selling bonds. The employees got to meet all the handsome actors and the famous pin-up girls before they left for the USO tours.

After the war, Betty came back to Oklahoma to work in Tulsa in the oil industry, and there she had met and married James W. Burroughs from Henryetta, and they had two children, William and Rebecca.

After her husband died in 1960, she moved her family back to her hometown of Tahlequah. She began a long career with Northeastern State University as head cashier of the Business Office and coordinator of the NSU Federal Indian Grants. Betty retired after 25 years with NSU.

Betty was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Tahlequah. She also enjoyed membership in several local organizations, especially the Daughters of the American Revolution, Nasturtium Garden Club and Descendants of Cherokee Seminary Students Association.

The Descendants of Cherokee Seminary Students Association was a special joy to her. After growing up attending what was then called the Cherokee Seminary Homecoming on May 7 each year, she was instrumental in ensuring that the tradition continue each May 7 on the NSU campus, even when the Cherokee Seminary alumni began to diminish over the years. In 2007, the mayor of Tahlequah, the president of NSU and the DCSSA honored her with declaring it Betty Burroughs Day throughout the city of Tahlequah for her enduring dedication to this organization.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Theda V. Garvin, Sally Finch; and one brother, Samuel M. Sanders. She leaves behind her son William Lee Burroughs and his wife Kay of Tulsa, her daughter Rebecca Jane (Burroughs) Smythe of Tahlequah and many loved nieces and nephews, family and friends.

Her funeral service celebrating her life was held at the Hart Funeral Home Chapel in Tahlequah. The family would like to thank Rev. John Price and pallbearers Jack Dobbins, Bill Hinton, Don Coffman, Joel Finch, Brian Duke and Mike Stopp. She was laid to rest next to her husband at the Tahlequah City Cemetery.

Those who would like to honor Betty with a memorial, are asked to consider a donation to the Descendants of Cherokee Seminary Students Association Scholarship Fund at Northeastern State University.

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