Etta Avera Bryers Polley Bottle, 98, of Holton, passed away Thursday, October 1, 2009, at The Pines in Holton.
She was born September 17, 1911, in Omapere, New Zealand, the daughter of Victor and
Kitty (Leef) Bryers.
After graduating from Teachers' College in 1932 , Etta was placed in her hometown school at Te Kopuru, then accepted a position at Whakapirau, a farming community, where parents took turn boarding their teacher for the term. Later she taught in
Auckland where she pioneered more effective methods of teaching arithmetic and
reading. She was a master bridge player and loved to travel and play golf.
Etta met Professor Rudolph Polley from America on a 35-day Bridge Cruise, and they married in 1966 and resided in California. He died in 1994. After coming to America and becoming a U.S. citizen, she joined the National Federation of Women's Clubs and won three California State Awards for International Hostess, Citizenship, Education and American Heritage Reading Program. She served as the President of the Ventura County Republican Women. She has traveled to almost every country in the world.
In 1997, she married Harry Bottle of Ventura. Harry was a businessman, accountant, and business owner until his retirement. In 2007 they came to Holton to be near their family. He survives.
Survivors include a stepson, Rick Bottle (Cindy) of Holton, stepdaughter, Nan Robertson of Harmony, North Carolina, five grandchildren, Ken Bottle (Yvonne), Kathy Lewis (Todd), and Steve Bottle of Denver, Colorado, Kevin Robertson and Leisa Bonham (Kenny) of North Carolina, ten great-grandchildren, and also Arlene Liddell, of California, Eileen Blumenthal, Washington, D.C., Joyce Naegle, of Oregon, and their families. She was one of eight siblings and leaves behind a large family in New Zealand. One sister survives, Mae McLean of Auckland, and nieces and nephews Lysla and Graham Anderson, Bev and Carl Anderson, sister-in-law, Joan Bryers, and many, many family members in New Zealand.
Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 9, 2009, at the First United Methodist Church in Holton. Memorial contributions may be made to the Holton Community Hospital Hospice, sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270,
Holton, Kansas 66436.