Betty Ruth Greenleaf

Betty was born July 6, 1928, in Clinton Iowa, to Gladys and Clifford Benson. She graduated from Mt. Carroll High School in 1946, Mt. Carroll, Illinois and Brown's Business College, Freeport, IL, in 1947.

In 1949, she moved to Los Angeles, CA, where she became a deputy sheriff of Los Angeles County in 1953, until injured on duty and retired on a service connected disability in 1964. In 1984 she moved back to Mt. Carroll to care for her father who was terminally ill.

In 2001 she moved to Hemet, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother and husband. She was cremated and interred next to her parents and brother in Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, IL.

Services have been entrusted to the care of Miller-Jones Mortuary 1501 W. Florida Ave., Hemet, CA.

Betty Greenleaf, 91, formerly of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, June 28, 2020, in

her home in Hemet, California. Daughter of Gladys and Clifford Benson, she was born on July

6, 1928 in Clinton Iowa.

In 1946, Betty graduated from Mt. Carroll high school, and in 1947, she graduated from

Brown’s business college in Freeport, Illinois.

She moved to Los Angeles, California in 1949, and became a deputy sheriff of Los Angeles

County in 1953. As a woman, this career accomplishment was ahead of her time. In 1964, she

was injured on duty and retired on a service related disability.

In 1984, Betty returned to Mt. Carroll to care for her father, who was terminally ill. During this

time, she also painted beautiful fine art. She was a loving mother to her fur-babies: Kid, and

later in life, Lilly.

She moved to Hemet, California in 2001, and began designing jewelry, which she also made by

hand. She showered her loved-ones with her stunning and playful creations, labeled Bee-Gee.

Betty was a fashionista, and always looked impeccable. She loved her Cadillac cars, which

complimented her exquisite style.

A baker’s daughter, Betty had a passion for cooking. Her specialty was dry-aged, prime rib au

jus. She cooked from scratch; even the whipped cream on the pumpkin pie was home-made.

The butter too. She was meticulous in her grocery shopping and knew where to find the finest

ingredients.

A youthful spirit, Betty learned piano in her eighties. Her zest for life was and still is an

inspiration. She lives on in the heart of her cousin, Kathryn.

Betty’s parents, brother, and husband had passed away before her. She was cremated and

buried next to her parents and brother in Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, Illinois. Funeral

arrangements are entrusted to the care of Miller-Jones Mortuary, 1501 W. Florida Avenue, in

Hemet, California.