Betty Jo Lawyer

The life of Betty Jo (Hale) Lawyer is a monument to loyalty, love and dedication. Her family was her life. That includes following her husband to various parts of the globe in the service of Chevron Oil Corporation. She met the then-future husband, Lee Lawyer, in her first year at Oklahoma University. They were made for each other and three years later were married on February 9, 1951. Unfortunately, Lee was inducted into the U.S. Army that same March! He was assigned to Ft. Belvoir, VA, which is near Washington, DC. She was a civilian employee of the US Air Force in Oklahoma City at the time. Undaunted, she applied for a transfer to the Pentagon, in Arlington, VA to be near her husband. She bravely travelled by train with her steamer trunk from Oklahoma City to Washington D.C. They were there for a brief year, when he was sent overseas. Back home she went, to await the eventual discharge of Lee from the service. A few months after the return home, she gave birth to her first Son, Mark.

After three years as an Army wife, her family “settled down” and Lee started a career with Chevron. Three more years were to go by, which were characterized by frequent moves. Dutifully and without complaint, she packed and unpacked more than twenty times in that three year period. Near the end of their nomadic journey, she gave birth to her second son, Mitchell. Many of the contemporary wives opted to go home to Mother to give birth to their children. Not Betty! After being separated from her husband during his Army years, she vowed “never again”.

The next 35 years with Chevron required a complete household move about every five years. Knowing that it was best for Lee’s career, she gave up the security of a permanent home to follow her husband where ever he led. But their life was full of the joy of her two children. She controlled the purse strings while Lee worked at getting ahead. Her sons, knowing the strict financial restrictions on the family, lovingly referred to her as, “Aunt Mammy Bammy Big Money.” She would parse out the dollars only when the need was great, smiling and happy to be an integral part of the family. Of course, she met many lifelong friends with Chevron, many of who had also gone through the difficult first three years on geophysical crews.

The next milestone in her life was when Lee retired after almost 40 years with Chevron. The once proud and confident woman would become confused and timid when faced with simple decisions and choices. She began to experience the terrible early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. She and her husband made a pact never to part as long as one of them was alive and capable of taking care of the other. The pact was never broken. She was on another journey through unknown territory similar to those first three years with Chevron. There were ups and downs but slowly and inexorably the downs deepened. Through it all she was cared for at home. One day, there were no ups, just downs. She was near the end of her life’s journey and one morning in May she didn’t awaken. Time had taken her. Her journey was over. She had been a constant abiding spirit, faithfully following where duty led, never flinching, unwavering; A truly magnificent life and a monument to loyalty, love and dedication.