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<img class="size-medium wp-image-1502915" src="http://www.dailyjournal.net/wp-content/files/sites/9/2020/10/webPhoto684450.jpg" alt="Betty L McKenzie" width="240" /><img class="size-medium wp-image-1502916" src="http://www.dailyjournal.net/wp-content/files/sites/9/2020/10/webPhoto684452.jpg" alt="Betty L McKenzie" width="240" />Betty L McKenzie
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MISSION VIEJO, CA
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Betty L. McKenzie
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Franklin College Homecoming Queen of 1947, Passes at 91
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Betty Louise Mathena McKenzie, 91, passed the evening of September 8, 2020 holding loved ones in her Mission Viejo, CA, home of 53 yrs. She was born in October, 1928, on her grandparent’s farm in Kansas, IN, which later became part of Camp Atterbury. Her parents, Mary and Donnell Deer Mathena, also had Isabelle Lee, and Donnell Earl, all two years apart. The family moved to Young Street in Franklin around 1935.
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Betty loved to read, learn and share. As a child she would sit and read quietly for hours from the children’s section at the Franklin Library her father cleaned at night. One year between the matinee and the early show at the theater downtown, her dad won the $25 weekly raffle prize and promptly gave $5 to the little boy who pulled the ticket. At 12-years-old, 1940, Betty scooped ice cream after school.
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Betty loved to read, learn and share. She graduated Franklin High School in 1946 at 17, then attended Franklin College, a member of Delta Zeta Sorority. Betty also worked at Franklin Hospital as a candy striper. In her sophomore year, Betty was crowned Homecoming Queen. She met her husband BL "Mac" McKenzie, and they married in New Hampshire, in July, after their June graduation in 1950. They loved to travel and moved a lot. Both became elementary school teachers, well-tenured by ’67 when they moved Douglas (1955) and Melinda (1961) to Mission Viejo, California, and bought a home to settle. Travelling continued with road trips each summer back to see family. Melinda graduated CSU Chico in 1984. Mac retired in 1985 and Betty did a year later after 53 years of teaching. They had a time share in Palm Desert, CA and when not there they traded to get around most of our 50 states and lower Canada.
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Betty’s mother passed in 1949, her brother in 1969 (his widow, 5 children and their families remain). Betty and Mac became grandparents in 1991, and 1992.
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Mac had Dementia by 1993 when Betty moved her father to CA. Her sister passed in late 1995 (2 children and their families survive), her father passed early 1994. In May 1997, Doug graduated Long Beach State University, School of Nursing, Phi Kappa Phi Magna cum Laud; and Mac passed that August, completing their 46-yr marriage. Betty then worked as a secretary to a trust attorney, became a care worker at Saddleback Hospital, joined Saddleback Community Outreach. While volunteering over 500 hours at Mission Viejo’s new library and helped found its genealogy department, she researched her Mathena family to 1661. Betty joined the Daughters of the American Revolution and supported Williamsburg Foundation, the Lakota tribe, and whales, subjects she taught and loved to share. She was secretary of the Assistance League of Saddleback Valley. She traveled to Europe, played Bridge like crazy, loved her friends, drank white wine, had fun lunches out and taught all us kids to read by age 3.
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A loving, amazing woman, Betty’s always been a role model to us: love and be loved. Betty, the Mathena matriarch, is survived by son Douglas, daughter Melinda McKenzie-Rudko with husband David Rudko, their daughters Anastasia Rudko and Corinne Noonan with husband Brandon and their daughter, Reagan McKenzie Noonan, Betty’s great-granddaughter.
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Betty requested no shoes, no donations, no flowers, no sadness, sorrow or remorse; she asked instead to be patient and kind and give when you hear the call of need. O’Connor Mortuary of Laguna Hills, CA is handling Betty’s arrangements. She was interred September 21, 2020, next to her husband within El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest, CA. Born in the Fall, buried in the Fall and dear to us all, she will be sorely missed. Memories will be uploaded to oconnormortuary.com and Facebook under her name. Notices were printed in the Orange County Register and the LA Times, September 20, 2020.
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