Betty Hauck passed away gently on June 20, 2025 at age 99. In her later years, she liked to say, “I’ve had a wonderful life and it’s too late for me to tragically die young!” She was right about that – she did enjoy a long and fulfilling life with a loving family and lots of laughter along the way. While she was by nature a bit shy and reserved, generally avoiding the spotlight, we’d like to take a moment to share a few memories of Betty.
Betty Ruth Ilene Bogue was born on May 12, 1926 in Missouri into a family that was mostly Norwegian immigrants. For anyone who has enjoyed Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion on the radio, his descriptions of those Scandinavian Lutheran farmers offer funny insights into Betty’s relatives. Betty’s childhood was not easy. She grew up during the Great Depression and her mother, Anna Tonette Pederson, had to raise Betty and her two brothers mostly on her own after her husband, James Lacey Bogue, was killed in an industrial accident.
Yet Betty always said that she enjoyed her childhood. Her mother had made sure that they always had a safe home (first in the country, later in town), enough food (basic Midwestern fare) and good clothes (often homemade). As she grew up, Betty worked hard to put herself through school and got a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Later, she also earned a teaching degree. Those early years shaped many of Betty’s down-to-earth attitudes about what is important. For the rest of her days, she worked to build a good life and she appreciated nice things but Betty was never interested in acquiring trendy luxuries or symbols of prestige. She was more likely to shop at Goodwill thrift stores than Macy’s or Neiman Marcus.
In 1975, Betty wed Paul E. Hauck and they were happily married for over 40 years. When they met, Paul had recently retired from a successful career at Defense Intelligence Agency as a senior intelligence analyst and Betty was working as a preschool teacher. Soon after they married, they bought a home in Poolesville, Maryland, and then established The Montessori School of Frederick. Together, they operated the school until 1984 when they sold it and bought a second home in Naples, FL. After that they enjoyed snow-birding back and forth between Florida and Maryland as well as traveling across America and abroad.
Betty always said that she enjoyed seeing the world with Paul and avoiding winter weather by following the sun to Florida but the one thing that gave her the most pleasure in life was undoubtedly little children. She taught preschool for all of those years because she loved kids. If she were here right now, she would probably chime in to say that the kids she taught were a joy but the parents were a mixed bag! Even at home, she was a terrific teacher – showing her own daughter and son how to read before they started kindergarten. Most importantly, of course, she was also a wonderful mother and grandmother. Betty loved all of those kids and they loved her right back.
Paul passed away in 2019 (also at age 99) and Betty eventually returned to Maryland. Betty is survived by those two children from her first marriage – son Kevin Chartrand and his wife Jennifer Chartrand; daughter Leslie Chartrand and her husband Mark Selman – and her stepson James Hauck and his wife Jamison Hauck. Another stepson, Wayne Hauck, passed away in 2022. Betty had six grandchildren including Jason Selman, Lauren Hauck, Matthew Hauck, Jayne Chartrand, Kelly Chartrand, and Amber Hauck. Betty will be laid to rest with her husband Paul in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Betty’s memory to Feed the Children.