Ruby Betty Soderquist Oertel

Ruby “Betty” Soderquist Oertel, age 91, of Austin, Texas, passed away on May 29, 2026. She was born at home on March 24, 1935, at 1024 Woodlawn Avenue in Waukegan, Illinois, to Paul Soderquist and Betty Erickson Soderquist. With family roots in Sweden, Betty’s early life was shaped by resilience, hard work, and the strength of family.

Betty grew up in Waukegan, IL. After losing her father when she was only four years old, she was raised by her mother, who worked tirelessly to care for the family. She attended Glen Flora Elementary School and Waukegan High School, and carried lifelong memories of her childhood home, her neighborhood, bicycling, reading, and walks near Lake Michigan.

As a young woman, Betty worked in local stores before beginning nurses training at Augustana Hospital in Chicago. Nursing helped her grow in confidence and purpose, and she became a registered nurse, a calling that reflected her practical skill, compassion, steadiness, and care for others.

While in Chicago, Betty met John W. Oertel. Their courtship included dancing at the Aragon Ballroom, long conversations by Lake Michigan, plays, university events, and a Christmas engagement marked by a music box with a ballerina and a diamond ring hidden inside. They married in December 1956 and built a life together that took them from Chicago to Minnesota and eventually to Houston. They were married for 37 years before John’s passing in 1994.

Betty was the devoted mother of John “Johnny,” Lisa, and David. She cared for her children with the capable hands of a nurse and the loving instincts of a mother. Her home was warm, welcoming, and safe. David’s friends affectionately referred to her as their second mom and often simply called her “Mom” when they came to visit.

In Houston, Betty became deeply involved in her community. She was active with the League of Women Voters of Houston and the Unitarian Fellowship of Houston. She was also an avid advocate for children at risk and abused women and was a founding member of a child abuse and neglect organization that helped protect and support children in need. Her compassion extended far beyond her own family, and she believed deeply in standing up for those who needed care, protection, and a voice.

Betty’s life was marked by perseverance, humor, tenderness, and quiet strength. She dearly loved reading books, and spending time with loved ones, and trips to the beach along the Texas coast. She had a gift for remembering the details others might forget, and through those memories she preserved the history of her family with warmth and honesty.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Betty Soderquist; her siblings, Bernice, Paul, and Barbara; and her beloved husband, John W. Oertel. She is survived by her children, John A. Oertel and his wife Becky Oertel, Lisa Oertel Kroll and her husband Tom Kroll, and David W. Oertel and his wife Megan Oertel; her grandchildren, Kelsey Kroll, Taylor Kroll, Shelby Kroll, and Bailey Kroll, Will Oertel, Ruby Oertel, and Grace Oertel; and her great-grandchildren, Tommy, Casper, and Elizabeth, along with all who loved her and were shaped by her care, strength, and warmth.

No public service will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Unitarian Fellowship of Houston or the League of Women Voters of Houston, or that Betty’s memory be honored by sharing a family story, reading a good book, caring for someone in need, or remembering that the beauty of life is found in literacy, love, and friendship.