Betty Jo Hagen

Betty Jo (Kellett) Hagen of Bryan, passed away on Sunday evening, March 19, 2023.

Betty Jo was born in Bryan on February 21, 1932 to William H. and Betty (Minsky) Kellet. She attended Bryan public schools and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1951. Upon graduation from McKinzie-Baldwin Business College in Bryan, she was employed by the First National Bank.

Betty Jo met her husband, Leland Hagen when he was stationed at Bryan Air Force Base (AFB) in 1952 and were married in 1953. They moved to Victoria, Texas when he was stationed at Foster AFB, then on to James Connally AFB in Waco. After a year, they relocated to Bryan where their first son, David Wayne, was born in 1955. Upon returning home after serving an unaccompanied tour in France, they moved to Webb AFB in Big Springs, Texas for six and a half years. While stationed there, their second son, Bruce Alan, was born in 1959. They were later transferred to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska for four years. From there, they moved to Hill AFB in Utah for three years. Their final tour of duty was at Tyndall AFB in Panama City, Florida.

Upon Leland’s retirement, they moved to Austin, Texas where he finished his education and Betty Jo continued to work in Civil Service for the next 12 years. In 1984, Betty Jo had an opportunity to travel abroad and served at Ramstein AFB in Bitburg, Germany for one year. After returning to Bergstrom AFB, in Texas Betty Jo was offered a position working in the Pentagon in Washington D. C. in the United State Air Force Housing Division. Following a one-year stent at the Pentagon, it was time to return home and enjoy watching our special granddaughter, Allison, grow up.

Upon retiring in 1993, both Leland and Betty Jo enjoyed volunteering at the VA Clinic and at church. During her Civil Service career, Betty Jo earned numerous awards for outstanding service. Among the many were, “Outstanding Housing Officer of the Year in the Air Force” three times. “Outstanding Referral Officer” and a Congressional Award for which she was sent to Washington D. C. to accept. In 2005, Leland and Betty Jo returned to Bryan, Texas to retire and be close to other family members.

Betty Jo is preceded in death by her parents, William Hiram Sr. and Betty Kellett, husband Leland Gary Hagen, sons, David Wayne, and Bruce Alan Hagen, sister Bobbie Nell Beene, and brothers, William H. Jr. and Donald Bryan Kellett. She leaves behind her cherished memory of her sister, Shirley Ann Winn, sister-in-law, Deanie Kellett, daughter-in-law, Penny Hagen and granddaughter Allison and husband Chris Carlson, daughter-in-law Ruth Ann (Kuhn) Hagen Truxillo of Lakeway, grandson, William David (Hagen) Jonson and wife, Lina Jonson, and great-granddaughter, Emma Maisie Jonson of Katy, Texas, and many nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.

Visitation for Mrs. Betty Jo Hagen will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 25^th at Callaway-Jones Funeral Center in Bryan followed by funeral services at 2:00 p.m.