Betty Travers

1911-1987

Betty Travers was born November 21, 1911. While growing up she went to Anderson’s one room school which was between Mile and Pleasant Avenue across from my house. (Anderson’s one room school is no longer standing.) Betty’s chores were to feed the horse and to hitch it to the wagon, so she could get to school in the morning. She never had to milk the cow unless she pushed her brother into the snow bank; that was her punishment. Most everyone in her school except the boys wore long skirts or dresses with long stockings like socks. Her classes were math, geography (which was her favorite), sewing and cooking. While she was a kid she could go to the store and buy two candy bars for a penny. Her pet were a collie named Daisy and rabbits. Her first date was when she was seventeen. Her curfew was 10 P..M.

After she graduated she worked at the Tuberculosis Sanitarium, was self-employed in a grocery store, and was a nurse’s aide in the Newberry State Hospital where she retired. She was awarded a practical nursing license. She ate corn flakes, while reading Life Magazine and Readers Digest or watching Saturday Night Oprey. While traveling by train to Tacoma, Washington, British Columbia, and St. Paul,Minnesota, she collected souvenirs. Her favorite family tradition was that nobody opens any presents until Christmas morning, because when she had kids she made her kids wait until Christmas morning. The biggest historical event that ever happened in her lifetime was World War II and witnessing a disastrous tornado while traveling in Canada. Betty Travers thought that life wasn’t rushed as much in the good old days.

Betty was married to Floyd Edwin Travers on June 19, 1937, in Curtis Michigan. She was married for fifty years and three months exactly. She had seventeen grand children named Juan, Clint, Michelle, Rodney, Jimmy Lee, Gabe, Tam, Heather, Tylar, Trent, Tracy, Gabriel, Kody, Troy, Brenin, Brittany, Andrew and Anthony. Nancy Polachek’s worst memory of her mother was when she was alone with her mother when she died on September 19,1987,in the Newberry Joy Hospital. Nancy Polachek’s favorite memory of her Mom was when she let her drive before she was old enough. Her goals for the future were to see her grand kids and kids as good people helping others.

By Jazmin Rodriguez

Fifth grade

Engadine Elementary School

Thank you Mrs. Polachek, for all the information you provided about your mother.