Frances, 87, passed away on October 27, 2015 from complications related to Lewy body disease with dementia. She was surrounded by family and caring members of the Good Shepard Hospice and Maple Wood Care Center. Born May 30, 1929 in Jefferson County, Mo. Frances was the oldest child of Jacob and Caroline (Lena) Bettenmann (both deceased). She grew up on a small farm with her parents and younger brother Joseph (Joe, deceased). The family raised cows, chickens, vegetables, and even a few geese that would try to bite Frances and her brother in the butt! She walked many miles to attend grade school in a one-room schoolhouse near the historic Sandy Creek Covered Bridge. Frances attended Herculaneum High School. One of the highlights of her life was going on her high school senior trip to Washington, D.C., New York City, and Niagara Falls. In order to raise the money to go on the trip, she sold copies of "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook that were given to her by the author, Mrs. Rombauer, who had a country home next to the family farm. On the trip, her classmates surprised her with a birthday cake made by one of the teachers. Frances met the love of her life, Louis Shoptaugh, who was then a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, when he visited his brother on leave. They courted and were married October 25, 1952 in Good Shepard Church in Hillsboro. Frances and Louis had one child, Carol. She and Louis lived in St. Louis most of their married life and moved to Nixa in 2007. A consummate mother and homemaker, Frances was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals for her family and friends. She was known for her lasagna, spaghetti sauce, chicken and dumplings, and lemon meringue pie. The kitchen table was the gathering place, and she was never too busy to provide a snack, listen to someone's tale, and just be a good friend. Frances had a wicked sense of humor and was definitely a prankster. She had a soft spot for animals; and her home was filled with them throughout her life, including two basset hounds (Cleo and Bogey), one inherited beagle (Boots), a pet sparrow (Sam) and over a dozen cats (Mopsy, Topsy, Suzette, White Foot, Nicholas, Yacky, and Barney just to name a few). Frances enjoyed watching Lawrence Welk, old TV shows, singing old songs, an occasional margarita, and being with family and friends. She taught us much in her 87 years. She was into recycling before anyone talked about sustainability -- Never throw anything away; an empty jar will be perfect for those flowers from the garden, old pantyhose can tie up a tomato plant or be used to keep those pesky marbles in one place, old newspapers and magazines can be reread and used for making Christmas ornaments or piatas, and there is no such thing as leftovers, there is only a new casserole or soup. She knew how to make do with very little and could make clothes that today would be called couture. More importantly she made everyone feel special with her kindness and generosity. Frances is survived by her husband of 63 years, Louis R. Shoptaugh; daughter, Carol F. Shoptaugh and son-in-law John L. Dengler, of Springfield, Mo.; four nieces Mary Wunderlich (Danny), Mary Ann Hannekin, Susan Leb (Nick), and Patsy Zajac (Hal), and many friends and wonderful neighbors. Memorials can be made to any no-kill animal shelter, Ozark Food Harvest, or the Lewy Body Dementia Association. Memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, October 29 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home; a prayer service precedes the visitation at 6:00 p.m. Mass from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Nixa on Friday, October 30 at 9:00 a.m. Burial at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.