11-13-1925 - 2-27-1019
Betty was born in Rockford, Illinois of Scotch/Irish parents on November 13, 1925. Betty was born Elizabeth Johnson, “but I’ve been Betty all my life,” she would often declare.
She said her folks met in Hopeville, California near Pasadena; but her dad got a paving contract in Illinois during the depression. “He paved most of northern Illinois,” recalled Betty, but mom made a deal with him that if she went to Illinois, she could visit California at least once a year. She and her parents eventually moved back to Pasadena, California and lived there for 8 years.
Betty said she was an only child and after graduating from high school she went to the University of California at Berkley because it was cheap, at just $30.00 a semester. She met and married her first husband, Jim Flanagan while in college. He was just out of the service and went to college on the G.I. bill. Jim went on to Stanford University so they moved to Palo Alto. Betty remembers thinking it was his turn to get an education, so she quit college to help out financially. She lived in a Quonset hut on campus; she went back to college when he was finishing his last year of college.
Jim’s mother then became ill so they moved to Whittier, California, and lived in a basement apartment for a while. It was there that her first child, a daughter, Katheryn (Kitty) was born, and then 3 sons James (Jay), then Richard (Ric) and then Timothy (Tim), before she divorced Jim.
She ended up working with a strong nursing field director who licensed nursing schools. They were doing some innovative things and she told Betty that she had to get her degree so the higher ups would listen to her. Betty was working on an early education degree from Long Beach State and was just one semester shy of graduating, when she met Joe Karbo and fell in love.
He was working in advertising for Maywood Bell Ford in Los Angeles and doing ads for a car dealership. Betty came as a package deal with four kids and his sister said he was crazy. But he married her anyway, and they both worked on TV, as Joe was doing spots on KTTV (channel 11). Joe had a late-night TV show and was good at interviewing and entertainers would come out from New York and be on his show. They included the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr. who got hooked on the show and spread the word. They were off and running with the likes of Barbara Streisand, Raquel Welch, and Martha Ray. Life was good and the owner of the TV station was looking to move the show to New York; but Joe didn’t like the idea and made a comment in Italian which the owner understood and they were out of a job the next day.
Joe decided to write a book that was published and put food on the table. The book, titled “The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches,” was a motivational book supporting the “affirmation principal.”
Joe loved the beach and one day they were out driving and he turned in at Huntington Beach which, at that time, was nothing more than a swamp and bulrushes. They ended up buying a house in a new community called Huntington Harbor and made that their home. Then Joe got word that his close friend was selling lots on Lake Cushman above Shelton, Washington. Joe piled everyone into the car and they drove up and bought three lots. That was about the time that her fifth child, a daughter, Wynona (Nonie) was born, in 1969.
They built a small cabin on the lake and traveled up every June to spend the whole summer with the dogs and cats recalls Betty. Next to their cabin was the Manke family of the Manke Lumber in Tacoma, Washington. Virgil Manke was a logger but loved sailing with Joe. Their families became great friends.
Joe and Betty then decided to build a more permanent house with the prospect of moving to Washington permanently. Though the permanent move never happened, they built their house just three blocks from the National Forest that was connected to Hoodsport, Washington.
Betty still had her roots in Huntington Beach and she became involved with the community and served on the Election Board and League of Women voters. Betty was also involved in the Amigos de Bolsa Chica (in Huntington Beach) bird Sanctuary and help save the bird sanctuary from Standard Oil intrusion.
In 1980 Joe was visiting with a friend after a day of sailing when he sat down in a chair and died. Betty lost the love of her life that day.
For several years Betty divided her time between California and Washington State. For the last few years, she lived in Westminster Manor and enjoyed having her family close by.
Betty is survived by her 3 sons and daughter. Jay (Robin) Ric, Tim (LuAnn) and Nonie, along with numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and stepchildren.
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