Betty Jane Denner

Betty was born in 1924 and raised in Santa Ana, California, by her parents, Thurlow and Charlotte Lord. She had one sister, Aileen. She is survived by her husband of 83+ years, Elton. They met while attending Santa Ana High School. During their courtship, many Saturday nights were spent dancing at the Palladium in Los Angeles to Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra. With military service a certainty, Betty and Elton were married on October 18, 1942. Betty was a mere 17. Their hope was that they could be together as Elton entered the service. Elton enlisted in the Army Air Corps pilot training program in 1943. Betty was able to follow him to California, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and South Dakota. After military service, Betty and Elton made their home in Corona del Mar and Balboa Island, California. In the California sunshine, they raised their family of two daughters, Carol and Christie, and one son, Larry. They spent many summers camping in the California Redwoods. They built a family cabin in Big Bear, CA where the family learned to snow ski. Betty was blessed to be a stay-at-home mom and spent many days enjoying the Little Corona del Mar beach with her children. She occasionally worked outside of the home in medical offices, as well as in the junior high cafeteria. She loved to sew, knit, and create wonderful crafts. To this day, family members have many Christmas decorations lovingly made by her. Guided by their faith in Jesus, Betty and Elton were instrumental in starting Plymouth Church in Corona del Mar and served in many areas of ministry there. Adventure came in 1977 with a year’s sabbatical from teaching. Traveling in their beloved “Blue Bus” across the country they loved so much, Betty and Elton journeyed from the East coast to West, continuing into Mexico and Central America while racking up 24,000 miles. Retiring in 1980, they moved to Vida, Oregon on the beautiful McKenzie River. Betty fell in love with gardening and canning. She loved to take her grandkids out to the orchard to pick fresh cherries, berries, and other fruits. Here, they attended McKenzie Baptist Church where they became deeply involved with Craftsmen for Christ, a volunteer organization that builds churches throughout the Northwest. The year 2000 ushered another move back to Southern California. Living in San Clemente, close to family, gave them precious time to spend with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as the families grew. In 2018, they returned to Oregon, residing at the Brookdale Senior Community in Newberg and attending Northwest Christian Church. They have been blessed in countless ways. Their family has grown over the years, now including 9 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren. Betty’s love for the Lord blessed and sustained her through her 101 years of life. She has been a shining beacon of her Savior’s love to her family. She is deeply loved and will be greatly missed until we meet again in the arms of Jesus.

Betty Jane Denner

December 16, 1924 - August 22, 2026