Betty J. Yeast Cowherd

Betty Jewel Yeast Cowherd passed away peacefully Monday, August 24, 2026 at her home in Frankfort. She was 94. Betty was born June 4, 1932 to Edith and Lee Yeast of Mercer County. She grew up a farm girl and graduated in 1951 from McAfee School. She attended the University of Kentucky and entered the Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, where she excelled – being named class president and “Most Likely to Succeed.” Upon graduation from nursing school, Betty packed up her 57 Chevy and headed to Florida where she worked in the emergency room at Tampa General Hospital. She then moved to Houston, Texas to work as a surgical scrub nurse with pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey. In 1958, she re-connected with a young physician she had known named Harry Cowherd, who had just returned from a stint as the medical officer in the US Embassy in Yugoslavia. They were married in 1958 and settled in Frankfort where Dr. Cowherd established his medical practice. After she married, she devoted most of her time to raising her children, Kimberly and Lee. She was active in their school and extra-curricular activities, from elementary school room mother to chaperoning high school band camp and trips. Through her daughter, Betty became involved in Girl Scouts as a volunteer with Kim’s troop. From there she took on more and more leadership responsibilities, eventually becoming president of the Wilderness Road Girl Scout Council. She ultimately was selected to serve on the National Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of the USA. After her children were grown, Betty put her nursing skills back to work, first at her alma mater, Good Samaritan Hospital and later as a Nurse Inspector in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. She was proud of her nursing career, keeping her license active until well into her 80s. Even in her last days, she loved sharing stories and teaching the young nurses caring for her. Throughout her life, she was committed to service. In addition to the Girl Scouts, Betty worked with the Red Cross leading blood drives, served on the Franklin County Board of Education, the Franklin County Board of Health, and was a member of the Frankfort Optimist Club. She was a long-time member of First Christian Church and served in various roles and positions from youth sponsor to deacon(ess) to board vice-chair and elder. She was recognized as “Elder Emerita" by the church in 2023 One of her proudest accomplishments was the establishment of the Franklin County Womens Shelter (now Fresh Start Frankfort.) She was one of the driving forces behind its creation and took regular shifts answering the crisis line and helping women and children in emergency situations. Beyond her life of service, Betty loved her family and friends. She cherished her trips to the beach with her grandchildren, her best friend Doris, and her daughter Kim. Her home was always open to anyone who needed a place to stay. Her grandchildren and their friends would often spend the night at her house. In her later years, her favorite pastime was mowing her acreage with her beloved John Deere tractor mower. She continued mowing her entire large lot into her 90s, even purchasing a brand new John Deere when she was 92. Her friends and family have described her as feisty, spunky, kind, sweet, beautiful inside and out, tough, life of the party, fiercely independent, and a “force of nature.” She will be deeply missed by many. She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant twin sister, Biddie June Yeast; her husband, Harry J, Cowherd; a grandson, Ben Cowherd; and an infant son. She is survived by her children, Kim Cowherd (Judson Browning), and Lee Cowherd (Mary Jane); her grandchildren, Blair Hecker (Shane), Colby Cowherd, Blake Owens (Jayme Pharis), Christian Browning (Stephanie); and five great-grandchildren. Visitation will be Friday, August 28 from 4:00-6:00pm at LeCompte Johnson Taylor Funeral Home and 2:00-3:00 Saturday, August 29 at First Christian Church. Services will follow at 3:00 at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Fresh Start Frankfort (formerly Franklin County Womens Shelter), Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road, or make a blood donation at the Red Cross. Arrangements were entrusted to LeCompte Johnson Taylor Funeral Home.

Betty J. Yeast Cowherd

June 4, 1932 - August 24, 2026