Bettylou Ely

Betty graduated from Gresham High School in 1943. After graduation, Betty worked as a secretary at several companies over the years with 1960 being her final year of employment. She then stayed home to raise her children.

In the summer of 1942, Betty met a handsome, young sailor, William A. Ely. In an entry in her diary for July 25, 1942, Betty writes, “Spent the evening with Bill Ealy (sic) & the prettiest full moon.” Two years after his return from serving in the Pacific during WWII, Bill & Betty married on September 7, 1947. They were married over 63 years when he passed away in December, 2010. They settled in Milwaukie, Oregon in 1956 where they raised their two daughters, Jean (Rick) Mangrum and Laurel (Gary) Moon. Living across the street from Harmony Grade School, Betty volunteered as Room Mother for many of her daughters’ functions.

After bravely tent camping with two children for years, they bought their first travel trailer in 1972 and fell in love with the trailer life. They joined the Buckcampers (a camping group formed with fellow Portland Buckaroo Hockey fans). After out-living most of their fellow campers, they joined a Good Sam group, the Clackamas Campers. Many of their trips in the summers, they would bring a grandchild or two along with them. On their own or with their groups, they traveled all over the Pacific Northwest with one trip through British Columbia and Alberta. One of her favorite places to go was the Oregon Coast.

Betty loved to read, watch the birds she diligently kept fed, getting together with friends, attending Buckaroo and Winterhawk hockey games, watching tennis and figure skating. Most of all, she enjoyed being with family. It wasn’t uncommon for Bill & Betty to travel hours to watch a grandchild’s concert, graduation or sports event. She fell in love with angels. Through the years, she collected everything from indoor and outdoor angel figurines, counted cross stitch pictures made by her daughters, and enough ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree.

Betty is survived by her daughters, Jean and Laurel; 5 grandchildren, Billy Joe Mangrum, Laurel Lynne (Mangrum) Sewell, Sara Elizabeth Moon, John Martin-William Moon, and Kurt Douglas Moon; 7 great-grandchildren, Austin, Carson and Henley Mangrum; Payton, Wyatt, Rueben and Cord Sewell.

A graveside service will be held at Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, April 14, 2024 (Betty’s 98th birthday) at 11:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome. Blue was Betty’s favorite color, so if you can wear blue, that would be great. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of her favorite charities—Habitat for Humanity, Dogs for the Deaf, The Oregon Food Bank, Ledding Library in Milwaukie, Oregon and OPB.