Betty Ragan Ela was born on April 8, 1918, in Colorado Springs, CO, to James E. and Georgie Ragan. During her first year, her family moved to Grand Junction, CO. She was the oldest of two sisters and one brother. She attended Grand Junction High School and Grand Junction Junior College (now Colorado Mesa University), and graduated with a degree in Home Economics in 1940 from Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University). She taught high school for two years in Grand Valley (now Parachute, Colorado) and one year at Grand Junction High School.

In 1942, Betty and Thomas Ela, high school sweethearts, were married and moved to Yellowstone National Park where Tom was employed as a park ranger. At times during the thirteen years they lived there, they were assigned to primitive outpost stations and were completely snowbound for eight months in 1944-45 and 1945-46. They received mail once a month by snow plane and had limited contact with the outside world via battery radio and telephone.

During those 13 years, three children were born – Jan, Mary and Evan. Betty learned to bake bread and make chocolate ice cream with canned milk, cocoa and icicles. In 1956, they transferred to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, where Tom was Chief Ranger. In 1961, another move took them to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee. They transferred in 1965 to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Tom was assigned to the National Park Service Southwest Regional Office. After moving their household 30 times this was their first opportunity to buy their own house, where they lived for the next 38 years!

Betty and Tom enjoyed adventurous travels as far south as Antarctica and as far north as Spitzbergen, Norway. They also had travels to Europe, Canada, Peru, New Zealand, Mexico, the Panama Canal and the Galapagos Islands. Touring the National Parks across the United States was also a favorite pastime and included several canoe trips on lakes and rivers affording beautiful sights and unique settings.

While in Santa Fe, Betty was employed at the New Mexico State Library for 15 years as the principle contact for rural libraries and for the State Book Mobile. Always a homemaker, Betty's family came first, but her hospitality extended toward the many visitors—expected and unexpected. Other big interests were reading, sewing, bridge, and picnics.

Betty moved to Loveland, CO, after the death of her husband and lived there almost 15 years before moving to Fort Morgan, CO. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, a brother, and her husband. She is survived by her children: Jan Whitney (Ed) of Casper, WY, Mary Zorn (Ed) of Fort Morgan, and Evan Ela (Kim) of Littleton, CO, as well as 9 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren.

Memorial Services will be Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 3:30 pm at the United Methodist Church in Fort Morgan. Services will conclude at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Betty's name to P.E.O. Foundation/Program for Continuing Education, P.E.O. Executive Office, 3700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312-2899.