hegnauer.family
H0116 The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.
· A life in the study

Betty Lou Putt

Born at Moline in 1931 and died at Geneseo in 2012.

born 12 May 1931 at Moline, Rock Island died 9 Jan 2012 at Geneseo, Henry

Also written Betty Lou Bugbee, Betty L. Bugbee

Betty Lou Putt was born on 12 May 1931 at Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois, the daughter of Lewis E. Putt, an electrician and later a millwright, and Rose E. Downing.1–3 She grew up in Moline, the farm-implement town on the Mississippi opposite Davenport, Iowa: the family was there in 1935, and in April 1940 Betty Lou, not quite nine, was at home with her parents and her brother Ralph, seven years her senior.4

On 2 December 1956, at Moline, she married Mr. Bugbee, and they had four children.1 She later made her home at Erie, a small town in Whiteside County, north-east of the Quad Cities.1 Betty Lou Bugbee died at Geneseo, in neighbouring Henry County, on 9 January 2012, aged eighty, and was buried in the Erie Cemetery. Her obituary, printed the next day at Davenport, named her parents, Lewis Putt and Rose Downing Putt, and her brother Ralph and his wife, Vivian.1–3

What we know

Proven

  • Birth at Moline, 1931
  • Marriage to Mr. Bugbee (possibly living; not named) at Moline, 1956
  • Death at Geneseo, 2012
  • Burial at Erie Cemetery
  • 3 homes, from the census and other records

What's still open

  • Sources. S. Obituary Collection, AI-extracted), the SSDI and her Find a Grave index entry were read in the death checks of 27 Sep 2026 and saved to her in the Hegnauer/Putt tree; her 1940 census line is as the tree attaches it.

Sources

Sources 1–3

1 U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930–Current, 1931

"U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930–Current," database, Ancestry.com, Betty Lou Bugbee, age 80, born 12 May 1931, Moline, Illinois; married 2 December 1956, Moline; residence Erie [Whiteside County, Illinois]; died 9 January 2012, Geneseo [Henry County, Illinois]; parents Lewis Putt and Rose Downing Putt; her husband and four children named [not given here]; siblings named, among them Ralph Putt and Vivian Putt [her sister-in-law] (AI-extracted index of an obituary published 10 January 2012, Davenport, Iowa; record 86460738; index read 27 September 2026; the obituary text has not been read).

2 U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s–Current, 1931

"U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s–Current," database, Ancestry.com, Betty Lou Bugbee, maiden name Putt, born 12 May 1931, Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois; died 9 January 2012, Geneseo, Henry County, Illinois; burial Erie Cemetery, Erie, Whiteside County, Illinois; her husband named [not given here]; Find a Grave memorial 85597366 (findagrave.com/memorial/85597366) (record 40965203; index read 27 September 2026; the memorial page not read).

3 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1931

"U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014," database, Ancestry.com, Betty L Bugbee, born 12 May 1931; number issued in Illinois before 1951; died 9 January 2012 (record 91677078; index read 27 September 2026).

Source 4

4 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Moline, 1932

1940 U.S. Federal Census, Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois, E.D. 81-59, sheet 2A (roll m-t0627-00875): Betty Lou Putt, daughter, single, born about 1932, Illinois; residence in 1935 Moline; in the household of her parents Lewis E. and Rose E. Putt, with her brother Ralph (her own line, record 140019847, as attached in the Hegnauer/Putt family tree; the index entry and the image have not been re-read in this study).

Life in time

12 May 1931

Birth , Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, United States

proven Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

How we know

The obituary index, the SSDI and Find a Grave give 12 May 1931; the obituary index and Find a Grave give Moline.

Three independent indexes agree on the date, and two on Moline, where her parents were living in 1930–1940. The 1940 census (as attached in the family tree) gives "about 1932, Illinois", computed from her age. No birth record has been read.

  1. 1931 Birth 12 May 1931 · Moline, Rock Island · proven

    The obituary index, the SSDI and Find a Grave give 12 May 1931; the obituary index and Find a Grave give Moline.

    Three independent indexes agree on the date, and two on Moline, where her parents were living in 1930–1940. The 1940 census (as attached in the family tree) gives "about 1932, Illinois", computed from her age. No birth record has been read.

    Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

  2. 1935 Residence Moline, Rock Island · proven

    Her residence on 1 April 1935, from the 1940 census.

    The 1935-residence column of her line of the 1940 census, as attached in the family tree (not re-read).

    Source 4

  3. 1940 Residence Moline, Rock Island · proven

    Daughter, in the household of her parents Lewis E. and Rose E. Putt, with her brother Ralph (E.D. 81-59, sheet 2A).

    Her line of the 1940 census, as attached in the family tree (index; image not re-read). Her parents and brother identify the household.

    Source 4

  4. 1956 Marriage, with Mr. Bugbee (possibly living; not named) 2 Dec 1956 · Moline, Rock Island · proven

    From the index of her obituary; her husband is named there and on Find a Grave but is not named here.

    The AI-extracted index of her obituary gives the marriage on 2 Dec 1956 at Moline; she was Betty Lou Bugbee, maiden name Putt, at her death. No marriage record has been read.

    Sources 1, 2

  5. 2012 Residence Jan 2012 · Erie, Whiteside · proven

    Her residence in the index of her obituary.

    The obituary index gives her residence as Erie; she was buried in the Erie Cemetery.

    Source 1

  6. 2012 Death 9 Jan 2012 · Geneseo, Henry · proven

    Aged 80. Obituary published 10 Jan 2012 at Davenport, Iowa.

    The obituary index (parents Lewis Putt and Rose Downing Putt), the SSDI and Find a Grave (maiden name Putt) all give 9 Jan 2012; the obituary index and Find a Grave give Geneseo. No death certificate has been read.

    Sources 1, 2, 3

  • proven

Hover or drag along the line, or select a point and use the arrow keys.

Places in this life

4 places, in order
1 2 3 4
  1. 1 Moline, Rock Island County Birth 12 May 1931 · Residence 1935 · Residence 1940 · 1 more
  2. 2 Erie, Whiteside County Residence Jan 2012
  3. 3 Geneseo, Henry County Death 9 Jan 2012
  4. 4 Erie Cemetery, Erie Burial

Family

Father Lewis E. Putt b. c. 1897 Mother Rose E. 1900–1981
This page Betty Lou Putt 1931–2012
Pan, zoom and follow the family through the whole study.
Family tree Open this person's page

Loading the tree…
The evidence 7 facts with their grades, 4 sources, and the research notes

Facts

Fact Date Place Grade Sources
Birth 12 May 1931 Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, United States proven 1 , 2 , 3 , 4
Residence 1935 Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, United States proven 4
Residence 1940 Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, United States proven 4
Marriage with Mr. Bugbee (possibly living; not named) 2 Dec 1956 Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, United States proven 1 , 2
Residence Jan 2012 Erie, Whiteside, Illinois, United States proven 1
Death 9 Jan 2012 Geneseo, Henry, Illinois, United States proven 1 , 2 , 3
Burial Erie Cemetery, Erie, Whiteside, Illinois, United States proven 2

Research notes

  • Sources: Her obituary index (U.S. Obituary Collection, AI-extracted), the SSDI and her Find a Grave index entry were read in the death checks of 27 Sep 2026 and saved to her in the Hegnauer/Putt tree; her 1940 census line is as the tree attaches it. The obituary text and the memorial page have not been read.1, 3, 2, 4
  • Identity: The obituary index names her parents, Lewis Putt and Rose Downing Putt, and her brother Ralph Putt with his wife Vivian; Find a Grave gives her maiden name, Putt, and her birth at Moline, where the family lived in 1930–1940.1, 2, 4
  • Living flag: Changed to deceased on 27 Sep 2026; she had been kept as living (born after 1926) until her death was found.
  • Mother's maiden name: Her obituary index gives "Rose Downing Putt", the first record seen for Downing (see her mother's profile).1
  • Family not named: Her husband (possibly living), her four children and a third sibling listed in the obituary index, whom the study does not yet know, are not named here.1
  • Leads: the obituary text (published at Davenport, Iowa, 10 Jan 2012; also indexed in the Newspapers.com obituary index); the 1950 census of Moline; the 1956 Moline marriage record or newspaper notice.
  • This profile is part of the Hegnauer one-name study, in the Putt family of Moline, Illinois.

Working notes

  • DECEASED: as Betty Lou Bugbee; obituary index names parents Lewis Putt and Rose Downing Putt and siblings Ralph and Vivian; Find a Grave 85597366; bur. Erie, Whiteside Co.; m. Bugbee 1956

Sources

  1. 1

    "U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930–Current," database, Ancestry.com, Betty Lou Bugbee, age 80, born 12 May 1931, Moline, Illinois; married 2 December 1956, Moline; residence Erie [Whiteside County, Illinois]; died 9 January 2012, Geneseo [Henry County, Illinois]; parents Lewis Putt and Rose Downing Putt; her husband and four children named [not given here]; siblings named, among them Ralph Putt and Vivian Putt [her sister-in-law] (AI-extracted index of an obituary published 10 January 2012, Davenport, Iowa; record 86460738; index read 27 September 2026; the obituary text has not been read).

    Ancestry

  2. 2

    "U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s–Current," database, Ancestry.com, Betty Lou Bugbee, maiden name Putt, born 12 May 1931, Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois; died 9 January 2012, Geneseo, Henry County, Illinois; burial Erie Cemetery, Erie, Whiteside County, Illinois; her husband named [not given here]; Find a Grave memorial 85597366 (findagrave.com/memorial/85597366) (record 40965203; index read 27 September 2026; the memorial page not read).

    Ancestry

  3. 3

    "U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014," database, Ancestry.com, Betty L Bugbee, born 12 May 1931; number issued in Illinois before 1951; died 9 January 2012 (record 91677078; index read 27 September 2026).

    Ancestry

  4. 4

    1940 U.S. Federal Census, Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois, E.D. 81-59, sheet 2A (roll m-t0627-00875): Betty Lou Putt, daughter, single, born about 1932, Illinois; residence in 1935 Moline; in the household of her parents Lewis E. and Rose E. Putt, with her brother Ralph (her own line, record 140019847, as attached in the Hegnauer/Putt family tree; the index entry and the image have not been re-read in this study).

    Ancestry