Shortly after graduating from high school, Betty attended fashion design school in Los Angeles for a couple of years, where she shared lodgings with a fellow Santa Paulan, Mildred Grainger Magill, who was to become her sister-in-law a few years later when Betty met, fell in love with and married Mildred’s brother, Edwin Grainger.Betty and Edwin Grainger eloped to Las Vegas and were married there in 1937. The newlyweds returned and settled in Santa Paula, where they started a family.In 1950, Betty lost her husband to cancer, and was faced with the task of raising their three boisterous young children, Roger, Dennis (deceased), and Margaret. With immeasurable love, Betty devoted herself to raising her children, and by the grace of God, true grit, and lots of help from caring relatives, accomplished this task admirably.During this time, Betty worked behind the counter at the Pastry Pantry on Main Street in Santa Paula for several years. This was followed by a 20-year stint at the J. C. Penney store, then located on Main Street in Santa Paula, where she held sway in the business office as “Betty the Bookkeeper.”In 1969, Betty married another long time Santa Paula resident, Elmer Hyde (deceased). They spent many happy years traveling and enjoying their respective extended families. Both members of the Methodist Church in Santa Paula for almost 80 years, Betty and Elmer enthusiastically participated in many church activities.Besides her son and daughter, Betty is survived by stepson Richard Hyde (stepdaughter Linda Hyde Adams preceded her in death), stepdaughter-in-law Betty Hyde, son-in-law Richard Fogo, and daughter-in-law Linda Grainger. Betty has grandchildren Stacy Grainger and David (wife Jamie) Grainger, Scott Fogo, Jennifer Fogo (husband Jason) Hooson, Isabella Grainger (husband Adam) Littman, and Becky Grainger; step-granddaughter Jennifer Adams (husband Jason) Robinson and step-grandson Michael Adams; nine great-granddaughters: Hayley, Juliana and Allison Hooson, Elizabeth and Sarah Fogo, Barrett and Rory Littman, and Hannah and Abby Grainger; and one great-grandson, Jayden Grainger. Betty also leaves behind sisters-in-law Dorothy Grainger, Eva Griffiths, Mildred Magill, and Peggy Grainger of Santa Paula; brothers-in-law Robert Grainger and Stanley Griffiths of Santa Paula; sister-in-law Ginni Grainger and brother-in-law Donald Grainger of Fillmore; and many nephews and nieces.A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Paula on Friday, January 18 at 2 p.m.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Santa Paula.Arrangements are under the direction of Skillin Carroll Mortuary, 738 E. Santa Paula St., Santa Paula, 525-3391.
Obituaries
January 18, 2008
Obituaries
Lillian Ester Fernandez
Lillian Ester Fernandez, 74, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 13, 2008 in Santa Paula. Lillian worked and lived her life in Santa Paula.She had a passion for her dogs and the Oakland Raiders, but her biggest passion was helping people in need. She never turned her back on her family or friends. Her door was always open and her hand was always extended to help. Her generosity will never be forgotten. She will remain in our hearts forever.She is preceded in death by her parents, Jesus and Juanita Fernandez; Esther Fernandez, Nicholas Fernandez, and Alice Fernandez Ochoa. She is survived by her daughter, Genevieve Alvarado; siblings, Ernest Fernandez, Rose Ames, and Mary Scott; many nieces and nephews; and of course all her friends.A graveside service will be held on Friday January 18 at 11 a.m., in the Pierce Brothers Santa Paula Cemetery.Arrangements are under the direction of Skillin Carroll Mortuary, 738 E. Santa Paula St., Santa Paula, 525-3391.Betty Grainger HydeBetty Grainger Hyde, age 93, passed away on January 3, 2008 in Santa Paula. A Santa Paula resident for over 80 years, Mrs. Hyde was born in Ventura on March 23, 1914 to Sadie and Lindsay Bradley, the second of three sisters.Betty spent her early years on the family ranch in Somis. She, like her sisters Lois and Billie (both deceased), reveled in the vigorous life of a country girl on the ranch, riding pet mules bareback, trying to teach the family’s pet goat tricks, and hiking over the slopes of South Mountain.In her pre-teen years she contracted polio, but fought it and emerged from that calamity the hardly-diminished optimist she remained to the end of her eventful life. Another calamity, however, in the form of several successive droughts, forced her parents to sell the Somis ranch. The family moved to Santa Paula in time to witness the flooding of the town when the St. Francis Dam near Piru broke in 1928.Betty could recall, along with every other American of her generation, some of the hardships wrought by the Great Depression. Forced at one point by extreme thrift and scarcity of goods, she and her sisters had to wear dresses they sewed from patterned cotton 30-pound Pillsbury flour sacks sold in markets at the time.She attended Santa Paula High School, where she excelled at the trumpet in the school orchestra. This orchestra was invited to join a competition in Los Angeles at radio station KFL, and Betty was the trumpet soloist in the orchestra’s broadcast performance.
