Elizabeth Q. "Betty" Stough, age 96, a resident of Windsor Park Manor in Carol Stream, and formerly a longtime resident of Wheaton, died Wednesday, September 23 at Central Du Page Hospital. She was born on March 13, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio to Conrad and Jenny Quackenbush, the second of four children.

Her childhood years were spent in Creston, Iowa where she worked her way through school, graduating from Parsons College, Magna Cum Laude with a major in French. She taught school for one year in Farson, Iowa but then felt called to attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. It was at Moody Bible Institute that she knew that God was leading her to a missionary life in Africa. She left for Africa in April of 1940 heading for Zemio in French Equatorial Africa. Later while teaching at a school for missionary children in Congo she met the father of one of her students and in 1945 she married the widower Paul Stough --and his three sons! Together Paul and Betty spent over 36 years serving with the Africa Inland Mission in Congo and Kenya. In Congo, Betty taught school and worked with the women in the church. After leaving Congo at the time of Independence they relocated to Kenya where Betty served as the gracious hostess of the mission guest house. Paul and Betty retired to Wheaton in 1976 where they continued to serve in their church and community and where Betty worked in the records department at Wheaton College.

Moving to Windsor Park Retirement community in 1988 did not end Betty's attitude of service to others. She was active in teaching Bible classes, visiting the sick, serving on the resident council and keeping in touch with countless missionaries around the world via her little e-mail machine. She was much loved and respected by the residents at Windsor Park and will be greatly missed by them. She was a prayer warrior and her extensive prayer list includes African friends, missionaries worldwide and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughter, Helen (Glenn) Doughty of Plano, TX, three sons, William (Ruth) Stough of Uganda, James (Joan) Stough of West Chicago, and Phil (Carla) Stough of Glen Ellyn, 11 grandchildren, and 27 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Rev. Paul P. Stough.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, September 26, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St. in Wheaton. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 p.m. at College Church Commons, Washington and Seminary St. in Wheaton.

Interment will be held privately at Wheaton Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to Africa Inland Mission Int., P.O. Box 178, Pearl River, NY 10965, http://www.aimint.org/usa or College Church Mission Fund, 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187.