Betty Salkield
A private family celebration of life will be held next month.
BETTY D. SALKIELD, died in Bellingham, Washington on November 15, 2012.
Betty was 95 years old and born in Denver, Colorado on December 29, 1916 to George and Molly Singleton of Dietrich, Idaho where she grew up on a farm outside of town. The farm was called Star Lake and sometimes during the winter she would have to move into the Deitrich Hotel with her mother to be able to go to school. Betty married Jay V. Salkield on September 12, l934 while she was still in high school. After missing one year of high school she went back and graduated valedictorian of her 1937 class at Dietrich High School in Idaho. Betty traveled with her husband while he was a telegraph operator for the Union Pacific Railroad. Betty gave birth to her only child, George Lawrence Salkield on November 20, 1939. In 1945 Betty and Jay bought the Dietrich Mercantile store and ran it until 1954. Betty had a great sense of business and the business was a great success. Betty and Jay then moved to Warden, WA for one year and then moved on to Seattle, WA where Jay worked for Boeing and Betty worked for a successful Seattle business.
Betty and Jay moved to Ritzville, WA in 1958 and ran the Tidewater Oil Distributor and the Empire Motel until their retirement in 1976. They built their retirement home on the Ritzville Golf Course and lived there until they moved to Spring Creek retirement home in Bellingham in 2010. Betty and Jay were married for more than 77 years and had enjoyed a surprise 75th wedding anniversary party in Ritzville in 2009. Jay died on April 22, 2012 peacefully in his sleep and we now believe Jay came back to take Betty to heaven because after such a long and happy marriage he was missing her. Betty also died peacefully and in her sleep.
Betty had a lot of respect and love for the Spring Creek Retirement Center and all of its staff and other residents. Betty left one son, Larry (Audrey) Salkield formerly of Seattle, but now of Bellingham and Oro Valley, AZ, two grandchildren, Andy (Mary) Salkield of Bellingham and Molly (Frank) Lawrence of Seattle plus great-grandchildren Chloe and Oscar Salkield of Bellingham, all of which will miss Betty very much. Betty loved to get to know her great-grandchildren during the last part of her life and it was great for the whole family to have Betty close by during her last years.
A private family celebration of life will be held next month.
Memories
From Tom & Linda Salkield
Betty was loved & will be in our hearts forever. Our thoughts & prayers are with the family. Both Betty & Jay were such loving & caring people.
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From Don Ham
Jay and Betty were those kind of people that come only once into one's life but the memories last forever. Sometimes I thought they were kind of parents to a lot of Dietrich High School students while at their store.
From Gary Kisling
Jackie and I send our sympathies. I remember them so well and always enjoyed their store. Especially remember Mr. Sharp's story. Lots of good memories of Larry working on the ranch.
From Don Heiken
Betty was a very special person. I am very sad to see her go. I was not very old whrn Betty and Jay owned the Dietrich store but I do have fond memories of them at the many class reunions. My sympathy goes out the family.
From Helen Root Magoffin
Betty was a warm and loving person and will be forever remembered kindly by all "those Dietrich kids" including myself. She and Jay and the Merc are a forever fun and lovely memory.
From Larry Salkield
Thank you Tom and Linda for your support of Mom and Dad, it is sad to lose Mom, but I think Dad came back and got her after 77+ years of marriage, he got lonely up in heaven and said it is time to join me, but I had really great parents, and you do too, thanks for your thoughts and comments, have a great day, year, forever, cheers, Larry
From Larry Salkield
a second message Tom and Linda, I do not even know if this one got through, maybe just a little email would let us know, my question is how does this work? Cheers, Larry And I do not know what Homepage is, do you?
From Larry Salkield
Thank you Gary, well I remember you well and your parents who where friends of mine, thanks for your kind comments and they did leave a large past behind them, have a great day, and thanks again, cheers, Larry
From Larry Salkield
Thanks again Tom and Linda. What I do not know is what is Homepage? What do I put in that blank, if anything? Anyway I hope you got my comments, thanks for yours, cheers, Larry
From peggy m green
I worked for Betty and Jay has a housekeeper in the late 1980"s both them were kind and caring couple..we would sit and have lunch and Jay loved talking about his life and the jobs he had..
i had also worked at the motel they had owened, we had talked about that..Jay loved his trains and was careful in that room when I dusted..they were very dear to me..i missed them a lot when I moved away from Ritzville to take care of my mom..im sorry for your lost Larry..they were proud of you..sincerely peggy
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