Betty Lou Authier

Betty Lou Rose Peters was born April 29, 1929 at the Willowdale Farm in Blaine Township, South Dakota to August Peters and Alma Spies Peters. She was their second child and considered a bit fragile, not being able to milk a cow until she was eight. She was generally found in the kitchen making cornbread and biscuits with a cousin. She attended the Neilson School, a one-room schoolhouse with neighbors and her siblings. She graduated eighth grade and represented the country schools in the county, giving a speech along with the high achiever of the town schools. To attend high school in Woonsocket, South Dakota, she needed to work for her room and board. She worked for her aunt, Annie Elenz, Mrs. Fee, and the Regynski family. She had to learn to make an apple pie at someone else’s home. In high school, she made new friends who lived in town. One of them was a boy named, Lyle Authier. They were inseparable. Betty Lou was the class Valedictorian and planned to go to business school in Rapid City to realize her dream of becoming a secretary. Lyle, had enlisted in the Navy and was headed to San Diego and then to Pearl Harbor to be a radio operator. She took a bus with her friend, coworker, and roommate, Lois Solberg, to California to return with Lyle when he was discharged from the Navy. In January of 1950, she and Lyle married at St. Wilfred’s Catholic Church in Woonsocket. Their oldest child, Theodore, was born ten months later. In 1952, Valerie Ann was born. She, however, died a week after her first birthday. Mary was born ten months later, followed by Brandt in 1955. The couple tried their hand at farming. Betty went back to work at the courthouse. By the end of 1955, they planned to relocate to California. They left for California, taking the southern route on the day after New Year’s in 1956. With the help of Lyle’s uncle, Joe Authier, they settled in Signal Hill in a $10,000.00 home. Their children attended school in Long Beach and Lyle worked for the school district. Betty was a housewife who cooked, sewed and did ironing and hair for the neighbors. Around 1965, Betty began working, again, as a temporary secretary and then as a personal secretary at the Long Beach Board of Education. Lyle retired in 1985 and Betty by 1987. In 1989, they moved into a brand new home in Hemet, California. By 2003, Lyle became ill and they moved to Leisure World in Seal Beach to be closer to Ted and Mary (Brandt had moved to Arizona. Lyle died in 2004. In 2010, Mary moved into Leisure World to be with her mother. By 2013, Betty’s health and memory began to decline. In 2016, she had a stroke which added to her confusion. The death of her son, Ted, in 2001, was a major blow. Later that year, she was placed in a board and care facility for 24/7 care. In February of 2020, she had pneumonia and a broken rib causing a eleven day stay in the hospital. She returned to the board and care and was soon placed into Hospice which coincided with Covid-19 quarantining. She passed away peacefully, with pneumonia, early August 9th.

She follows her husband, Lyle and children, Valerie and Theodore in death. She is survived by her older sister, Arlene Acker. She is survived by Ted’s widow(Luisa) and children, Adam(Ketina) of Sioux Falls, SD and their children, Theo, Freya, and Arrow….and Anna Quattlebaum (Bobby) of Lodi and their children, Roen, Isabella, and Elijah (on the way.), and Anthony Authier of Lodi, CA with their mother, Carmen of Lodi. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Dyess of Long Beach, a grandson, Jonah Dyess(Malaya) of Long Beach, CA great grandsons, Bryson and Jaiden…A grandson, August Dyess(Camie) of Del Sur, CA, great grandchildren, Rhette and Finn. She is survived by Brandt Authier of Mesa, AZ and grandchildren, Tyler and Ashley, along with great grandchildren, Caleb, Raegan, Isaiah, and Haven of Mesa, AZ.

There is no memorial planned at this time. She will join Lyle at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.