Circa. 12-25-1935
Elizabeth Jean H., the eldest of two children, was born on July 6, 1930 in a maternity home in Hood River. Her parents, Howard and Hazel, lived with Howard's widowed mother (in the house pictured above) so that he could help with her registered dairy cows and milk route. From first through seventh grade Betty attended Franklin Grade School, which was just across the road at the end of their driveway. She fondly remembered sliding down the metal fire escape many times, using waxed paper to make it more slippery.
In 1943, after her father became Chief of Police, the family moved into Hood River to the house at 715 Prospect Street, where this picture was taken. On July 8, 1947, before she began her senior year, her dad died suddenly of a second heart attack, leaving Hazel alone with her two children, Betty and Dick. While her mother went to work in a grocery store to support them, Betty and her brother, who was two years younger, took on after-school jobs so that they could help by each being responsible for paying one monthly bill
After graduating in 1948, Betty attended Northwest Business College in Portland, then returned to Hood River to work for 85 cents per hour as a personal secretary for the manager of the canned goods department of Apple Growers Association.
Although, as this receipt shows, Betty's $8.00 birth fee is cheap by today's standards, she was priceless to us. The photo above of her with long, wavy hair is one of my favorites because I see my own children reflected in her. That picture, along with her story, is a gentle reminder that she was once a vulnerable teenager who went through some tough times. Because of the great person she turned out to be, she has taught us that who we become is a choice, not just an accident of circumstance. She chose to help her mom, she chose to be a good sister, she chose not to become bitter or use misfortune as an excuse for ego centricity. Elizabeth Jean grew up to be a loving mom, wife, sister, grandma, and friend who touched the lives of everyone around her in a positive way. We can honor her best by making the same positive choices in our own lives.
Circa. 1947