Happy Birthday, Betty!

We Will Miss You, Betty!

Betty Caroline Jensen Pritchett Light

Sept. 14, 1924-June 4, 2012


Former Gresham resident Betty Caroline Jensen Pritchett Light died June 4 in Springfield. She was 87.

A service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 17, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, 520 W. Powell Blvd.

Betty was born Sept. 14, 1924, in Omaha, Neb., to Lars and Ruth Norby Jensen. Betty graduated from Omaha Technical High School and married Morgan Pritchett in 1944. They moved to Oregon.

Betty earned a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Oregon, and a doctor of education in community college education from Oregon State University.

Betty was a founding faculty member of Mt. Hood Community College, becoming chairwoman of the business division a year later. She retired from Mt. Hood in 1986 as dean of communications, arts, humanities and social science.

Morgan preceded her in death in 1982. In 1985, she married Kenneth Light.

Betty served on the Gresham City Council from 1983-1986. She was very involved in civic life, both as an individual and in connection with Mt. Hood.

Her husband, Kenneth, preceded her in death in 2003.

Survivors include her son, Randall Pritchett of Gresham; daughters, Robin Church of Lowell and Royce Bishop of Auburn, Wash.; five grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Mt. Hood Community College Foundation, 26000 S.E. Stark St., Gresham, 97030; Planned Parenthood, 3727 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, 97212; or The Salvation Army, 8495 S.E. Monterey Ave., Happy Valley, 97086-7844.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Trip to Nebraska

June 29, 1959

Dear Marie,

I'll just write a note - I want to get out several in time for the postman.

I talked to Betty on the phone twice, and she's pretty well sold on making the trip to Nebraska this Summer. Tentative plans are for the last two weeks in July.

I'm writing to Elin, too. Doubt if it would do any good, but I'll write anyway. Had a nice letter from Sock this week - he's in Virginia taking more training before his first assignment.

Betty's present idea is to take Robin and Royce with her, and I'm taking Jacque. They will get along well. [We're thinking of sharing a motel for the week we're there.]

Surely hope you can work something out so you can make the trip too. It would be fun to get together. Too, I know it would mean a lot to Mom and Pop. They are getting older - why not go now when they can appreciate our visit.

Hope to hear from you soon. Let's hear any suggestions you might have as to time or arrangements.

Love,

L.

"We have a dozen kids between us."

Phoenix, Ariz

April 28, 1955

Dear Betty & Family,

Lottie and Family too - if she's in Portland

This note to both of you - hoping it arrives when you are together. Wish I could be there too, to see the new wee one & give a helping hand. We have a dozen kids between us. Haven't discovered any of that "cheaper" part that is supposed to come with the "dozen." We all like the name of the youngest Pritchett - haven't heard of Royce as a girl's name, but really like it. Now you have the three "R's" - Randy, Robin, Royce. I was hoping you would have a girl. She and Robin will have swell times together. Congratulations to the Pritchetts! I was glad for your letter with all the news.

The new house sounds keen. Cheers for Morgan for going out more on his own.

I am enclosing a letter received a few days ago from Pop's doctor. I guess I told you I was writing to him to get accurate information to determine the real condition of his eyes & the advisability of an extensive trip. The letter is self explanatory, though not heartening. I think it is urgent that we make immediate plans. I don't like to push anyone - each of us has heavy financial responsibilities. It would be so much easier if we could talk. Since we can not, please each of you be frank about what you think & do write immediately.

Now for a plan. It is not a hard & fast plan but just a starting point from which to work. Do make suggestions or changes. Suppose each of us contributes $100, that would make $300 for sure. It wouldn't cover all the expenses but it would be a good start and I think enough of a boost so that Pop & Dora would feel that we really wanted them to come. I think they have some money they could put in too. I will contact Elin & Dora's son, Albert, too if you think it is a good idea but I wouldn't be too hopeful for contributions.

Frank's Dad could go with Pop to the station to make reservations & would be helpful in advising us. I know that the Golden State, crack coach train, to Phoenix would be comfortable. There is a good train over to Calif from here, but I don't have any knowledge of trains in the Northwest. Maybe Bob could make suggestions.

I think a nice way to handle the contributions to Pop would be for each of us to mail him a check & invitation letter to reach him by May 15 - is that a good & reasonable date? Dad Durand could pitch in to help make necessary arrangements and the trip ought to start June 1, 1955.

Immediately, I will write to the doctor & ask him to put in a personal word of encouragement to Pop to take the trip. I will wait on writing to Elin, Albert, & Dad Durand until I hear from you two gals. We ought to let Marin know Pop will be coming out when plans materialize farther. We have a Seattle address for him.

I think the psychological affect of Pop's receiving a letter from each of us on May 15 would be an excellent one.

Now, I think we should guard the seriousness of Pop's eye condition from our children & Mom for they are apt to say the wrong thing to Pop - doctor's advice. Also for Mom's sake, I don't think she should know the full extent of our help to Pop. I want sometime to do the right thing for Mom, but there are lots of factors involved.

I could write more about Frank's new job, Ruthie's extensive Campfire activities, & a few projects of my own, but right now I had better get this in the mail.

Please do respond immediately, kid. If the $100 is too steep just say so. We could make some adjustments.

Again congratulations on Royce Marie.

Love Marie & All

Betty: If "L" isn't there please see that she gets this information & outlined plan.

"Pop, I'm glad you can vote this election even if you vote for Kennedy."

Text editted per request of family member's wish not to be included in this blog.

"All the kids are looking forward to Christmas."

Dec. 13, 1957

Dear Mother,

Please note the address – we haven’t moved. Once when I wrote I put the store address on by mistake. I’ve received the mail from you, though, at the store.

Hope you’re well & looking forward to Christmas. I’ve enjoyed talking with Lottie and hearing about her trip to Nebraska. Glad that she could make it even if I wasn’t able to.

Glad you like the sewing machine. I was happy that Lottie & Pop could make the arrangements.

We’re all well & busy. I’m still working and taking care of things at home, too. I’m now doing all buying for the store and enjoy my work.

Randy is busy with swimming lessons, Cub Scouts, Church Choice, Sunday Schools’s school. He’s almost busier than I am.

The girls are definitely not babies any more. I’m enclosing a picture we took just last week in front of the fireplace.

All the kids are looking forward to Christmas. We brought a new bicycle for Randy which he isn’t expecting so he’ll be quite surprised.

Jeanne Johnson has stopped by to see us several times in the past few months. She’s now a stewardess for Northwest Airlines and lives in Seattle. Every so often she has a few hours in Portland between flights and so comes out. She’s going to be here most of Christmas Day.

I’ve invited the Johnsons down for Christmas, too, but I don’t know whether or not they will make it. We visited them at Thanksgiving. All of them are well and the kids getting by. ... Melody is bigger than I am, & Jill is coming up fast. They are good kids – Lottie can certainly be proud of them.

Haven’t heard from Marie for a year. Have you had a letter from her? She’s as bad a correspondent as I am.

Haven’t heard from Martin either. Don’t have the slightest idea where he is.

Well, Mother, hope you have a Merry Christmas. We’ll be thinking of you.

Love
Betty

News from Oregon

Dec. 17, 1956

Dear Mother,

I didn’t mean for my letter writing to become an annual affair, but I guess that is just about what its degenerated to.

I think of all the family often, but there never comes time to get a note off. Maybe I just hate to write.

We have had a busy fall & summer, though we took a trip to Canada on my vacation in August. We drove to Tacoma & left Royce with Lottie while Morgan, Randy, Robin, & myself went on North. We had a lovely trip around the Island, through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and in Vancouver, B.C.

Later on in August Melody came & spent a week with us. She’s getting to be a big girl & we certainly enjoyed having her. She’s awfully good with the little girls.

In September Jeanne Johnson, Elin’s oldest, called up & said she was in town. She came out & stayed three weeks. She had been in Hawaii for almost two years and was on her way home. She’s a very nice, intelligent & good-looking girl. Elin can be very proud of her. After she left here, she went home for a while and then back to Spokane where she’s now nursing in a hospital.

Jeanne said that Stanley is in his second year of college and is studying pre-med. Apparently he’s a very capable fellow and should do very well for himself. Jeanne said that Elin is the same as ever but Ray still isn’t able to do much. He receives compensation for injuries he received several years ago and still has trouble with his back.

In October things were settling down a bit when Morgan’s mother had a stroke. She was moved to a hospital and seemed to be recovering when she suddenly had a second stroke and passed away. Since her other son lives in California and her daughter in Arizona, we were responsible for all the funeral arrangements and details that go with this sort of thing. It was my first experience of this nature.

To keep things in a state of confusion we had another turn of excitement last month. Morgan was in a automobile accident and suffered a broken arm and cut on the forehead. He and two other fellows made a trip to Eugene, Oregon and on the way home the fellow that was driving missed a turn and the car went out of control and rolled down a bank. Morgan was thrown out of the car or he might have even been hurt more seriously. The driver wasn’t hurt at all but the third fellow has a broken back. He’ll be laid up quite some time. Morgan is feeling quite perky now. He still has his arm in a sling but probably he can do away with that before long. The accident was had enough but he could so easily have been killed that we feel pretty lucky.

I’m still working but have received a promotion. My duties are now confined exclusively to burying and managing the notions and soft goods departments in the three stores. It’s a big job but I enjoy it.

The children are growing by leaps and bounds. Randy now comes above my shoulder and weighs over 70 lbs. He’s in the fourth grade and does well. He started wearing glasses last month because he was having trouble focusing his eyes for reading.

Robin is almost three and looking forward to Christmas. She wants a “pepano” (piano) and a dolly. She’s definitely a little girl rather than a baby. She says “Royce is little, but I’m big!”

Royce is a fat happy little butterball. She’s walking now and talks quite a bit. She’s shorter than Robin but weighs almost as much. They are very good companions.

We plan to go to Tacoma for Christmas. We won’t be able to say very long but at least we’ll have a little time to visit. I haven’t seen Lottie since last summer.

Guess that just about takes care of the news at this end. Hope this letter finds you well & that you have a Merry Christmas.

Thanks for the papers you send a while back. I enjoyed reading them. Thanks also for the other package.

B.