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| | Sunday, February 20 | |||||
| INDIANAPOLIS -- The two teen-age daughters of Tony and
Shirley Bettenhausen will not be alone in the world, mourners vowed
Saturday.
Hundreds attended the funerals of the Bettenhausens, Russ
Roberts and Larry Rangel at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in
Indianapolis. All four died in the crash Monday of Bettenhausen's
twin-engine plane near Leesburg, Ky.
Bettenhausen, 48, was the youngest son in a famous racing
family. His elder brother, Merle, acknowledged the size of the
gathering in his eulogy. "We all knew that they had a lot of
friends, and this kind of shows they did," he said.
About half the seats in the 1,500-capacity chapel were filled.
Merle Bettenhausen said 18-year-old Bryn and 13-year-old Taryn
were handling the sudden loss of their parents better than could be
expected -- although they sobbed throughout the service.
"We've got the strongest kids in town right here," he said. "I cannot be Shirley, I cannot be your dad. But with the help of God, I can be the second-best."
The Rev. Marvin Singleton of Bethel United Methodist Church,
which the Bettenhausens attended, said the couple should be
remembered for their traits of caring, altruism, respect and
trustworthiness, or CART for short. CART also stands for
Championship Auto Racing Teams, the racing series in which Tony
Bettenhausen was a car owner.
Betty Rutherford said she had known Shirley Bettenhausen, 47,
for 37 years, describing her as a great wife and mother who
volunteered much of her time.
"She was a special friend," Rutherford said.
Roberts, 52, became was one of the original investors in
Bettenhausen Motorsports in 1986, and was someone who earned the
respect of others, said Ed Evans of the Murat Shrine Temple.
"Gentlemen, start your engines, a new life is about to begin,"
Evans said.
Rangel, 49, a restaurateur and family friend, had a separate
service earlier Saturday.
Tony Bettenhausen, who competed in 11 Indianapolis 500s, wasn't
the greatest race driver nor the greatest race team owner but had
been molded by his famous family's tough love, Indianapolis Star
sports columnist Robin Miller said.
"He was the best person I ever knew," Miller said. "I'm so
thankful I got to be a part of the Bettenhausen family."
Rows of flowers surrounded the three caskets in the afternoon service. Checkered flag designs symbolized the Bettenhausen racing tradition.
After the services, several onlookers got out of their cars and watched the two-mile funeral procession pass by on its way to Crown Hill Cemetery.
"I just was trying to pay my respects," said Candias Scott-Moore of Indianapolis as she and her husband stood along Meridian Street with their hands over their hearts. "I can't just drive by and couldn't let this without paying my respects. He was great for Indianapolis."
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