February 1929 ~ July 2014
Betty Broughton was born February 18, 1929 in Missoula, Montana to Cleve and Ora Marks. Her early childhood was spent on a 10,000 acre working family ranch in Townsend, Montana, where both her parents were born. She attended first grade at a mining camp in York, Montana where her father found work. Two younger brothers, James and Michael, were also born in Montana. After the mine closed, the family moved to Helena, Montana where her father worked for the Social Security Dept.
In 1941, when Betty was 12 years old, the family moved to Seattle, where her father went to work at Todd Shipyards building boats for the US Navy during WWII. She attended 7th grade at Beacon Hill Grade School. When the High Point Housing Project was completed for the WWII industrial workers, her family moved there. Every day she walked to the Cooper School for 8th grade. It was there she developed several lifelong friendships with her classmates, who still gather every Wednesday for dinner at the Chelan Cafe in West Seattle.
When her father’s next job took him to Everett, Betty had developed a special affection for West Seattle. She stayed with Harold and Pearl Broughton, who lived a block from West Seattle High School, where Betty attended 9th-12th grade, graduating in 1947. After school and on Saturdays, she took the bus downtown for her part-time job at Frederick & Nelson, giving the money she made to her host family.
After graduation, Betty married Harold and Pearl’s son, Charles “Bud” Broughton, also a graduate of WSHS. In 1949 they bought their home on 47th Avenue SW, where she raised her children who also graduated from WSHS: Tim ‘66, Mary ‘69, Joyce ’70 and LeeAnn ‘72. While her children were in school, she attended night classes at Edison Technical School on Broadway in Seattle where she learned her secretarial skills. After employment at several local construction companies, she worked at Loyal Lumber Co. on First Avenue South, retiring in 1991.
Betty was always a huge fan of University of Washington Husky Football. For many years she attended both their home and away games. She was an active member of the American Legion Drill Team for many years, travelling throughout Washington for both competitions and parades. Betty served as membership secretary for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. She volunteered for many years as the WSHS Alumni Association Secretary, where she retained the title of first-ever Board Member Emeritus. She served as the Class of 1947 representative for what seemed like eons.
Predeceased by her brother, James Marks, Betty is survived by her brother, Michael (Karen) Marks of Renton, WA; her five children, Tim (Karen) Broughton of Kettle Falls, WA, Mary (Jerry) Ross of Keller, WA, Joyce (Darrell) Olson of Silverdale, WA, LeeAnn (Rick) Nicholas of Deer Park, WA and Tom (Laurie) Mullins of Issaquah, WA; grandchildren, Nicole McCulla, Travis Broughton and Nicholas Broughton; four great-grandchildren, Bianca Hernandez, Rory Broughton, Corinna McCulla and Shane Meek.
In lieu of flowers, please send remembrances to the WSHS Alumni Association, 4742 42nd Ave SW, #215, Seattle, WA 98116.
Guestbook: www.washelli.com/obits/
Published in The West Seattle Herald Section of The Westside Story August 15, 2014
