Remembering the Life of
BETTY JEAN MANLEY
1929 - 2018

Born Betty Jean McAuley on February 6, 1929, in Saltillo, Texas to John Butler McAuley and Margaret Alice Pearce McAuley. She passed away from complications of Alzheimer's on September 24, 2018 in Hemet, California. She was 89.

At age 9, her family moved west and settled in Blythe, California in 1938. She was a bright and adventurous child, and grew into a spunky girl with love in her heart, and amazing parents to raise her up right. While in high school, Betty Jean found the love of her life, Horace Conway Manley, and they married on June 28, 1946 in Ehrenberg, Arizona. She graduated from Palo Verde High School with the class of 1947.

Betty and "Cowboy" had three children, two sons and a daughter, before moving in 1959 to Eagle Mountain, a Kaiser Steel mining community sixty miles west of Blythe. Betty and Cowboy became active members of the small desert enclave. Betty was part of the community theater troupe, and reveled in the experience of her acting roles in plays such as "Death of a Salesman", "The Man Who Came to Dinner", and others. She was also a member of several social clubs, and took an active leadership role in Camp Fire Girls. Betty and Cowboy together were impressive square dancers; graceful, passionate and committed. After leaving their club in Blythe, they joined the Merry Miners Square dance club in Eagle Mountain. They also held dance classes and taught square dancing to the young people in town. Betty was an excellent seamstress, and hand-made their matching dance outfits over the years.

Betty enjoyed working, and for many years managed to juggle her work and her family life with balance, and grace. She worked at the Eagle Mountain branch of Bank of America. Later, and for many years, Betty was Accounting Clerk and Purchasing Agent for the Desert Center Unified School District, also in Eagle Mountain.

Family was everything to her, and she devoted herself to her children. Inspiring them to succeed, with strength, and humor. She was hands-on, involved, self-disciplined, and supportive. She led by example. Tender, loving, kind and generous.

Her husband's health led to his early retirement from Kaiser Steel in 1981, and the couple moved to Santee, California where they had purchased a home with plans to travel in their 5th wheel RV. Betty became Office Manager for the City of Santee Recreation Service. Then joined the staff of the Social Security Administration office in La Mesa before retiring herself. Sadly, Cowboy passed away in 1982 at age 60. For 28 more years, she maintained the family home herself, welcoming with joy her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren regularly as the gathering place for all occasions. She loved entertaining her family (including her parents; and extended family from out of town), and her many friends in her home. This often included lively conversation, card and board games, swimming, tennis, ping pong, and bicycling. Always lots of hugs, and smiles. Her freezer was often stocked with home-made candies, and pies. She also had a ceramic room, and kiln, and made many wonderful decorator pieces throughout the years. Her grandkids were always happy painting new projects, and learning new things at Gramma's house. To her credit, Betty also enjoyed oil painting, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, macrame, quilting, camping, bicycling, bowling, traveling, going to the movies, the theater, and amusement parks. She attended Sonrise Community Church in Santee. She was a prankster, a giver, a doer...with a "just do it!" attitude.

Betty entered into a memory care facility in 2010. She adapted well to her new surroundings, and her out-going style brought new friends. She endured a slow and gradual decline, yet kept a hint of her delightful personality, sweet laughter, and sense of humor for many more years.

Betty was predeceased by her loving husband, her parents, her brother J.O. McAuley, and many dear friends and relatives. She is survived by her sons Joe (Rosemary) Manley of Indio; Gene (Christine) Manley of Temecula; and daughter, Kathleen Manley Edwards of Alpine. Six grandchildren including Steven (Lauren) Manley of Santee, Matthew (Lisa) Manley of Santee, Kathleen (Bryce) Frary of Temecula, Robyn (Jesse) Cannon of Texas, Ethan (Renee) Nystrom of Alpine, and Meghan (Kelcey) Vehanen also of Alpine. And eleven great-grandchildren, Hailey, Shannon, Lana, Rachel, Claire, Adakai, Lunabella, Natalie, Cara, Malachi, and Freya. Many nieces, nephews; and life-long friend Dorothy Price Cox of La Quinta.

A celebration of life was held on October 1, 2018 at Frye Chapel in Blythe with family and friends. She was interred at Palo Verde Cemetery beside her husband. A reception followed at the home of her nephew, Alvin Bebout, hosted by her niece Linda Bolen Bonelli.

She filled this world with her light and love and humor. "The song is ended, but the melody lingers on..." ~Irving Berlin