Betty Lou Burson

Betty was born Elizabeth Lou in Wiggins, Colorado to W.W. and Elsie A. (Little) Glasgow on September 19, 1922. She died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 94 on July 17, 2017 at Tuality Community Hospital in Hillsboro, Oregon. A memorial service will be help on Saturday, September 9, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the Christian Church of Hillsboro, 540 NE Edison St. Jim Keefe will be officiating.

Betty graduated from Fort Morgan High School in Fort Morgan, Colorado. While living in Colorado, Betty and her family attended a Christian Church in Fort Morgan. She was quick to share that one of her Sunday School teachers was the mother of famous bandleader, Glenn Miller. In the early 1940's, the Glasgow family moved to Portland, Oregon. She always said that since she had lived more years in Oregon, she was an Oregonian. During WWII, she worked as a welder in the shipyards in Portland.

Betty met her future husband, Kenneth D. Burson, when the family moved to a house on Kaiser Road right across from the Bursons. Ken was attending the Oregon State College School of Pharmacy at the time, having served in the Army Air Corp during WWII. She worked for the phone company in Portland until she and Ken married on August 19, 1950. They lived in Forest Grove, Oregon where Ken worked for a local pharmacy. While living in Forest Grove, they welcomed a daughter, Janice, to the family. Ken accepted a job in Scappoose, Oregon, and the family lived there for about a year.

In 1956, Ken was offered a job in Hillsboro, Oregon to become a partner at the Delta (Rexall) Drug Store, after the retirement of owner, Fred Engeldinger. He would be reunited in the partnership with his friend from college, Donald Engeldinger.

A few years after moving to Hillsboro, Betty became active in the Christian Church of Hillsboro. She was leader of the Deaconess', Christian Women's Fellowship, wedding receptions, kitchen chairman, taught 2 and 3 year olds in Sunday School, and many other volunteer jobs at the church. Betty was
co-leader of Jan's Camp Fire Girls group for a couple of years, and later on helped Jan earn her
Wo-He-Lo Medallion. In the community, she was a member of the Women's Service Club.

Following Ken's death in 1979, Betty went back to work after a 28 year hiatus. Of all places, she got a job working for the Hillsboro High School District in a Junior High School cafeteria. At the age of 56, it was hard work for her, but she got summers off and that was great with her. She retired on December 31, 1989, and once again became involved in church activities.

One highlight of her life was when her only child, Jan, met (and married) Mike Irwin. While talking to Mike one day, she realized that she bought meat at the Forest Grove Safeway from his Dad. Small world isn't it? After Jan and Mike sold their house in 2006, they bought a condominium, and asked Betty to move in with them. She broke her leg in 2008, and was glad to have a place to live where she was not alone. At the church, she could still be found in the kitchen (affectionately known as "The Kitchen Queen"), with her walker, directing her minions (Jan and Mike) to do what she no longer could.

Betty is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Jan and Mike Irwin; and her sisters (and their spouses) Jeanne (Pat) Herwick, and Gerry (Jim) Sells, and sister-in-law June Glasgow. She is also survived by many nieces, and nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth; her parents, W.W. and Elsie Glasgow; sisters and brothers (and their spouses) Margaret (Kenneth) Partain, Don (Louise) Glasgow, Barbara (George) Snavely, and Bill Glasgow; nephew, Steven Glasgow, and great-great niece, Rachael Albertson.

Betty's request is that any donations be made to the Christian Church of Hillsboro, General Fund.