Betty Helen (Groves) Cline, 89, of Brooklyn, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Mayflower Health Care Center in Grinnell. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Brooklyn with Fr. Dominic Nguyen officiating. Interment will be held at Brooklyn Calvary Cemetery. A luncheon will follow in the fellowship hall of St. Patrick Catholic Church. A scripture service will be held at 4:30 p.m., Friday, August 7, at Smith Funeral Home in Brooklyn. Family will greet friends during the visitation from 5-7p.m. A rosary will follow the visitation. If desired, memorial contributions may be designated to the Brooklyn Community Food Pantry or East Poweshiek Ambulance Service. Cards and memorials may be mailed in care of Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 342, Brooklyn, IA 52211.
Betty was born Dec. 23, 1936, in Tama to Alson and Marie (Mahnke) Groves. She was raised in Tama and graduated from Tama High School with the Class of 1955.
May 27, 1955, Betty was united in marriage to Paul Cline at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Brooklyn. Together they made their home in Brooklyn, where they raised their family of 11 children. Betty devoted herself to creating a loving home for her family. As her children grew older, she worked in the kitchen at Brooklyn 80 and later held various positions at Brookhaven Nursing Home.
A devoted member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Betty's faith was the foundation of her life. She was active in the Altar and Rosary Society and generously volunteered at the local food bank and Kids Club. Betty enjoyed quilting, sewing, reading, tending to her flower gardens, sitting on the porch watching the birds, and taking trips to nearby casinos. Above all, she treasured her family. Sunday dinners around the table were among her greatest joys, and she will be remembered for her love, kindness, gentle spirit, and quiet generosity.
She is survived by 10 children: Carmen (Ron) Weaver of Grinnell, Duane (Julie) Cline of Anamosa, Gary (Cathy) Cline of Malcom, Roger (Natalie) Cline of Grinnell, Gwen (Jeff) Meier of Marengo, Kevin (Laura) Cline of Guernsey, Sharon (Alan) Dixon of Norway, Brian (Julie) Cline of Pleasant Hill, Eric Cline (MaryCarol Cross) of Sully, and Russell (Angie) Cline of Brooklyn; son-in-law Don Kuhn; 22 grandchildren; 25 great-grand-children; one sister Jane Spear; and one sister-in-law Mary DePauw.
She was preceded in death by her husband Paul, her parents, a daughter Nancy Kuhn, two sisters, and two brothers.
