Betty Constance King

Betty Constance King, aged 93, the last of the four Quick girls of Main Street in Chehalis and younger twin sister of the late Ms. Marjorie “Marge” Murray, has succumbed to a complex of illnesses on March 2, 2016, in Centralia, Washington.

A small town girl at heart, she traced her lineage through her parents, Harry and Olga Quick (Shay) and pioneer grandparents, Thomas and Olga Shay (Degeller,) who first homesteaded land in Washington Territory in 1874 near what is now known as Onalaska.

Betty, or “Connie,” as she was known, was born on April 16, 1922, in Chehalis. She spent her early life there, where she graduated from the High School in 1940. She married Thomas K. King; then a Sergeant in the US Army, in January of 1942, and in the years to follow, was blessed with two sons, Dennis and Douglas. The family traveled about the country and all over the world as Thomas progressed in ranks and assignments. After his retirement as a Colonel in the US Air Force in 1972, the couple moved to Gig Harbor, where they lived until Thomas’ passing in 2003. Shortly thereafter, Betty moved back to the area in Centralia, so that she could once again be with Marge; they had such good times together!

Betty enjoyed cooking, golf, bowling, and a good game of Bridge. She was the oldest member of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Chehalis, marking 78 years in 2014. She spent many years as a Red Cross “Gray Lady,” providing services such as letter writing and assisting the sick with day to day activities, and was a member of Officer’s Wives Clubs at military bases from Europe to the Far East, usually as the group’s president.

Ms. King is preceded in death by her husband, Thomas K. King; twin sister Marge L. Murray of Chehalis; and older sisters Barbara Deardorn and Anabelle Potts, both of Southern California.

She is survived by her sons, Dennis (Carole) King, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Douglas King, last known to reside in San Diego, California; grandchildren Matthew, Amanda, John, and Rebecca; and six great-grandchildren, all of whom reside on the East Coast in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Locally, she is survived by her twin sister Marjorie’s son, Dr. Steve (Clair) Murray of Lake Oswego, Oregon, who along with their children, have included Connie in activities, visited her often, and have been generally “good family” to her. Clair’s sister, Melodie Rosebrook, of Chehalis, and her husband, Harold, have all been very comforting and helpful over these past several years, for which she has been very thankful.