Betty Jean Atkinson

On June 22, 2020, Betty Jean Gardner Atkinson went to greet her husband Bill, her daughter, Robin, her parents, Lester and Lillie Gardner, her dear friend Aletha Worrall, sisters Pat, Mildred and Frances, and her brother Richard, in the Elysian Fields. Dogs Mickey, Tammy, Shark, Copper, Rogue, Babe, Duke and Daisy were there, too, and it was a grand reunion.

Those of us left behind will miss her very much. She was our beloved Mama, Ma and Grandma, aunt of many and great-grandma of Astrid and Avaree. Those of us who survive her are Beverly (Peter) Hine, Merilee (Andrew) Atkinson, Patricia (Bill) Sanborn, Grandson Evan Atkinson Sanborn (Megan) and Astrid and Avaree Sanborn. Her sister Willie Mae Buchan and many nieces and nephews also survive her.

Betty was born in Fort Totten, New York, on October 1, 1928, where her father, Lester Gardner, was stationed with the Army. She and her siblings became Army brats and lived in many places, including Hawaii, where a cyclone separated the room she was sleeping in from the house.

Her father, Lt. Col. Lester Gardner, was the Commandant of the Presidio of Monterey during WWII. Betty stayed in touch with her 7th & 8th grade teacher, Aletha Worrall, and after she graduated from high school in Cheyenne, Wyoming, traveled back to Monterey to work in the USO with Aletha. It was a life-long friendship and Aletha became all four girls’ Godmother. Betty also attended classes at Monterey Peninsula College as an Art major.

Betty met Bill Atkinson while in Monterey and he would commute from San Luis Obispo, where he was attending Cal Poly on the GI Bill, to see her. They married on August 24th, 1952, the same day and year their future son-in-law Peter was born.

Bill worked for Del Monte Corporation and in the 1950s, the family moved to our beloved Del Monte Ranch on Union Island in San Joaquin County.

After many full and happy years on the ranch, Bill and Betty moved to Carmichael, where they lived for over 40 years. We loved their beautiful yard, which Betty (and Bill) spent many happy hours working in. We all have many memories of parties and celebrations held in the yard, particularly 4th of July when we put on our own fireworks show.

Betty’s years were many and rich. She was a great mom and taught us all many things. We were all introduced to arts and crafts, music, cooking, and sewing, etc. We took many trips to Pacific Grove, which was like a second home to us. She was a fine natural artist and she loved to paint, sew and work with rubber stamps and greeting cards. Betty had a great sense of humor and participated in the silliness we all loved. She enjoyed travel and went to England with Beverly and Robin in the 1980s. Her favorite times were with her grandson, Evan and her 4 daughters, whom she called her “jewels,” after an old painting of a Roman matron: “Cornelia and Her Jewels,” featuring a mother with her 4 daughters.

We are all so grateful to have had Betty as our Mama and Grandma and will keep her in our hearts forever.