Betty L Catlin Gilbert-Boogard was born on May 25, 1930, at St. Elizabeth Hospital (now Astria Health) in Yakima, Washington, to Wellard and Ida (House) Catlin. She graduated from Yakima High School (now Davis) in June 1948. She attended Whitworth College in Spokane.
She went to be with her heavenly Father on December 23, 2017, in the presence of her family.
She worked as a billing clerk in the fresh fruit department at the Yakima County Horticulture Union (Snokist Growers) and then as an assistant to the cannery sales manager.
On June 13, 1954, Betty married Curtiss “Mark” Gilbert. They made their home in Wiley Heights. They raised three daughters. In January 1960, they left the Gilbert Family Orchard operation and began farming their own orchard under the name of the Mark Gilbert Ranch. Betty was a full partner with Mark, running various crews, driving the tractor, payroll and other bookkeeping duties.
On September 10, 1978, Mark had a fatal heart attack while fishing with neighborhood friends. It was 10 days before apple harvest. Betty continued to operate the orchard with the help of her son-in-law, Neal Erlewine, until 1983. Neal and Sandy (Mark and Betty’s daughter) continued to operate the orchard until 1994.
During this time, Betty was employed at Lee Semons, Washington State Employment (now Work Source), Irwin Research and Development, Yakima Valley OIC, and the Yakima County Substance Abuse. She retired in May 1995.
On June 10, 1995, she married an old friend, Parry Boogard. He passed away on October 18, 2004.
Throughout her life, she was active in the community and her church. She was an active member of Wiley Heights Covenant Church. In her early married life in the 1950s and 1960s, she was involved in the YWCA, West Valley Fair Board, Junior Aid (now Junior League), volunteer for St. Elizabeth Hospital, Ahtanum Valley PTA, Red Cross, and UGN. She served as President of the Wiley Heights Covenant Women, President of the Washington Women Survival of Agriculture, and President of the West Valley PTA Council. She was a life member of the Washington State Horticultural Association. She volunteered for five years for the KYVE TV Auction.
Betty loved her family and friends. She was a friend to all she met. She loved to entertain, especially for family gatherings like holidays and birthdays. She enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s sporting events, cooking, baking, and visiting with her friends.
Betty is preceded in death by her parents and both husbands.
She is survived by her daughters, Sandy (Neal) Erlewine, Sue (Don) Martinell, and Sharon (Doug) Ickes; her brother, Herald (Dyan) Catlin; grandchildren Lynn (Zeb) Ruff, Ryan (Laura) Erlewine, Josh (Bethany) Martinell, Stephanie (a.k.a. Sara) Martinell, Curtiss Ickes, and Cody Ickes; great-grandchildren Adam, Paisley, Eliana, Caleb, Will, Riley and Davey; sisters-in-law Carol Anne de La Chapelle and Gail Gilbert; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and several “extended family members.”
Thank you to: Dr. Backer, Dr. Warner, Dr. DeMarco, and their staffs; Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital staffs of the Operating Room, Cardiac Unit, ICU, and 3 East; Willow Springs and Good Samaritan Health Care Center; and Pastor Mark Swanson of Wiley Heights Covenant Church. Many thanks to our friends and families for your concerns, calls, and prayers which have been a blessing to us. A special thank you to “our extra sister,” Joyce Anderson Raglin.
At her request, there will be no visitation. A Memorial Service will be held at the Yakima Covenant Church, 6015 Summitview Avenue, Yakima, on Saturday, January 13, at 1:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Wiley Heights Covenant Church or a charity of your choice.
To share a memory of Betty, please visit www.keithandkeith.com.
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