Betty Bridgford Orvis

“Monday’s child is full of grace.”  Betty Jean Bridgford Orvis was grace-filled her entire life, beginning at her birth. Betty was born in Graceville, Minnesota Monday April 30, 1923 and died ever so peacefully in her sleep Thursday August 21, 2014 at the age of ninety one; Bob, her husband of seventy-one years, near her side. Betty was the only child of May Anderson Bridgford and Professor Roy Oliver Bridgford.  The Bridgford family resided in Morris, Minnesota for more than fifty years which, to Betty, was truly a place of honor and reverences all of her life. She described her idyllic childhood with doting parents, friends with everyone at school, and Sister Ann Rita’s daily expectation that Betty be practicing piano at the convent promptly at 7:00 A.M. Betty’s friendships were evident as she was bestowed the honor of co-valedictorian of Morris High School graduating class, along with her dear friend, Claire LaFave.  Betty said throughout her life how grateful she was for both growing up in a small town and for her life-long and enduring high school friends. In 1939 Betty began attending the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis at the age of 17. Betty gained a lifetime full of friends through her membership with the Delta Delta Delta (Tri-Delta) sorority; an association she cherished and in which she was always active.  Spring of 1940 Betty’s best Tri-Delta friend, Mary Ann,  along with her future husband Hank Huff (Beta Theta Pi) arranged a blind date for Betty and Bob (also a Beta) to attend the Tri Delta Spring formal. Their romance began and continued throughout World War II as Captain Robert E. Orvis was sent to various domestic and international Army bases.  The first week in November 1943 Captain Orvis sent several telegrams to family members and to Betty’s housemother, Mrs. Simons. After class, Betty returned to the Tri-Delt house and Mrs. Simons called her to her room. “I just received this telegram from Bob. He is coming home Wednesday and wants to marry you Saturday. “They wed in the chapel at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, November 7, 1943. After their honeymoon Bob returned to active duty while Betty was the first married woman to live in the Tri Delta house. Betty graduated a few months later.  Their first child, Robert E. Orvis, Jr.  was born the following year.  Betty and son Bobby lived with her parents in Morris, Minnesota for several years, then followed husband Bob around the country to several Army bases they called home.  Their second child, Katharine Anne, was born at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas in 1949. After World War II, Betty and family set up house in Mankato, Minnesota where Bob worked for the Cargill Corporation. Captain Orvis was extremely patriotic and told the Army, “when and if President Truman declares the emergency, you can count on me.”  In 1950 Bob was called up again by the Army for active duty. Betty recalled that this particular goodbye, at the Minneapolis train station, was particularly hard as Bobby was five, Kathy was an infant, and she had no idea when she would see her husband again. The Korean War ended in 1953 and the Orvis family began life in a western suburb of Chicago:  Elmhurst. Barbara, their third child, was born in 1954. They lived in Elmhurst for 30 years only minutes away from their son and his young family. Things changed in 1974 as Bob accepted a position with a printing and publishing company located in Sleepy Eye, MN.  Betty and Bob moved to Bloomington, MN where they had a home until 1998.  That year they sold their condominiums in Peoria, AZ, the Bloomington, MN home, and purchased a larger home also in Peoria, AZ; they would no longer be “Snow Birds.” Betty continued as the Tri-Delta president for several years, enjoyed golf with Bob and “the girls” at the Union Hills Country Club (she proudly earned the President’s Club Championship in 1988) and attended Peace Lutheran Church.  Until the very end of her life, Betty remained steadfastly gracious, generous, kind and loving; the traits that exemplified her life. During her last two weeks of life Betty was too weak to talk. We would lean in and always hear her whispered words, “I love you.” Betty Jean Bridgford Orvis is and will continue to be greatly mourned and missed by her family which includes, her husband of 71 married years, Bob, her three children Bob, Kathy and Barbara (Orvis Hall), son-in-law Grant Hall, two grand-sons Brian and Steven Orvis, great-grandchildren Alex and Kevin Orvis, granddaughter-in-law Gina Orvis (Jay) and great-granddaughter, Madison. We finally discovered Fletcher Heights Assisted Living Home owned by Maria Balint. Maria and her staff relieved us of the incessant worry as to how Betty and Bob were really treated when we were not present.  We are grateful to Maria and her staff for their conscientious care. A family memorial service and celebration of Betty’s life will be held Monday September 15, 2014 at 10:30 A. M. at:  Fletcher Heights Assisted Living LLC, 22131 North 79th Avenue, Peoria, Arizona 85383