Elizabeth Barbara (Wetzel) Fortier (1926 - 2020)

Born 19 Aug 1926 in Tampico, Yakima, Washington, United States

Wife of Richard Fortier — married 14 Jun 1947 in Yakima, Washington, United States

Died 21 Jul 2020 at age 93 in Yakima, Washington, United States

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Biography

Elizabeth Barbara Wetzel was born on August 19, 1926, in Tampico, Washington. She married Richard Fortier in Yakima, Washington. She died on July 21, 2020, in Yakima, Washington, at the age of 93.

Obituary: Betty Barbara Wetzel Fortier, 93, our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, was taken up to heaven on July 21, 2020. After a positive test for COVID-19, she had few symptoms, but just stopped eating and went to sleep. We will see her again.

A member of one of the Yakima Valley’s pioneer families (They settled in the Tampico, WA area in 1873.) she was born at home to Hazel (Clement) and Albert Wetzel on August 19, 1926, in a small house near the “narrows” on Ahtanum Creek. Betty grew up playing with her sisters Laurel Lea and Gloria on the banks of that creek. While she was young, her family lived and farmed near other members of the Wetzel family in Tampico and they later moved to Moxee where they started their own hop ranch. Betty attended grade school at the one-room schoolhouse in Tampico. As a teenager she graduated from Moxee High School as Salutatorian of her class. At high school she met Richard (Dick) Fortier and they married June 20, 1947, shortly after he returned from serving in the Navy during World War II. After marrying they made their home in Yakima where they raised four children: Terry (Nancy), Vicki (Lynn Dye), Susan (Mark Collinge), and Tim (Barbara).

In 1959, after a decade of staying home and raising her children, Betty began working for Yakima County in the Auditor’s Office. She retired from the auditor’s office after 30 years, having advanced to chief accountant and budget coordinator.

Betty was a loving and devoted mother, who demonstrated humility, forgiveness, generosity, wisdom, and patience for all her family. With her family, she enjoyed spending time at the family cabin on the American River near Chinook Pass, clamming on the ocean beaches, picking huckleberries near Mt. Adams or trout fishing in local rivers. Other interests included knitting, reading, gardening, photography and spending time with children and grandchildren.

One hobby Betty enjoyed was Toastmasters where she excelled at public speaking. She was active in the local branch of the National Association of Parliamentarians and served as a teacher of parliamentary procedure. She was also involved with the Genealogical Society. And she was an accomplished card player, a serious contender in bridge and pinochle.

After her retirement, Dick and Betty joined up with their best friends – sister and brother-in-law, Laurel and Ted Wayenberg, to caravan all over the US in their motor homes. Dick had suffered a stroke at the age of 52, so it was Betty who did all the driving. They spent many winters together in Arizona, but the most epic trip was when Betty drove their rig from Yakima, over the Alcan highway, all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska, and back.

Thank you to the staff at the Fieldstone Memory Care facility in Yakima, WA for their kind care and attention during the last few years.

Betty was predeceased by her husband, Dick (passed Dec 24, 1995), and her sister, Gloria (passed in 2007). Betty is survived by her sister, Laurel Lea, all four of her children, ten grandchildren, many great grandchildren, and nieces, nephews, and cousins. Her grandchildren include Terry’s children: Georgina, Tony, Chris, and Mike Fortier; Tim’s children: Tyler Fortier and Kelsey Clements, Vicki’s grandson: Addison Dye; Susan’s children: Amy, David, and Eric Collinge.

Terry, Vicki, Susan, and Tim would appreciate shared memories of their mother, Betty. Please leave messages at http://www.shawandsons.net/obituary/betty-fortier.

We plan to wait until August 2021 to gather for a celebration of Betty’s Life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hazel Wetzel Foundation Fund (at Yakima Valley College, PO Box 22520 Yakima, WA) which provides scholarships to full-time YVC students who need financial assistance. https://www.shawandsons.com/obituary/betty-fortier

Sources

• 1947: Betty Wetzel, "Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008"

Repository

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/101924773/person/252228970587/facts

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G435-JTL