Betty

Born 1942, Betty can’t believe she’s 80. She leads an active life. Betty, one of four sisters, herself one of twins, considers herself a ‘senior orphan’ because her sisters passed on.
Betty grew up in Cochrane, then a town of 700 people. A trip to Calgary was an adventure.  Her father was chair of the Cochrane School Board and mother, president of Home and School Association.
Betty’s teen years affected by Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT)--active within the United Church, opened her eyes to dissimilar cultures.
Betty attended University of Alberta, Calgary in 1959 where she held leadership roles in CGIT and Student Christian Movement (SCM).
Betty earned a Bachelor of Education Degree from University of Alberta, and a two-year post-graduate program in Religious Studies. In 1960, Betty connected with the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), forerunners to the New Democrats. Betty met Tommy Douglas, inspired by his talk about Universal Health Care.
Through SCM and Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), Betty worked in Jamaica in secondary, technical schools, and University of West indies as a student advisor. Betty lived in Jamaica for 2.5 years. As a white, foreign woman, it was challenging to establish trusting relationships.
Her experiences in Jamaica, awakened Betty’s awareness of white privilege and its impact on developing nations.
Betty worked for the SCM in the Atlantic Provinces two years, then worked in Labrador as a guidance counselor, where she met Paul, together a year, until Paul took a leave of absence.
Eight months later, Paul sent Betty a telegram which read: “I love you. Please join me in Morocco.” She did.
They married,  returned to Alberta, where Betty worked as school counselor. She earned a master’s degree in educational psychology working 30 years as psychologist in rural Alberta schools.
Paul and Betty were blessed with two children, Jonathan, and Leslee. Jonathan, lives in Peru, with his wife and two children. Betty visited Peru several times.