Betty Jean Raff
1930 –2008

Betty Jean Raff passed away peacefully in her sleep Thursday, October 16, 2008 in the early morning in Santa Maria, CA.

Betty was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend that always had a joke to tell and a smile on her face. She will be deeply missed.


Betty was born to William and Ellen Kindsvater on September 26, 1930, in Minneola, KS. She was part of a family of seven brothers and four sisters. Betty spent her childhood in Liberal, KS and worked there as a telephone operator when she met Lloyd "Mike" Raff on May 1, 1949. They quickly fell in love and they were married seven weeks later on June 26, 1949 in Perryton, TX.


Betty spent the next 26 years following Mike around the world in the Air Force and for all of Mike's hunting and fishing excursions. They lived in Albuquerque, NM after being married. They then moved briefly to Fayetteville, NC before moving back to Albuquerque. After spending eight years in New Mexico they then moved to Wichita Falls, TX. Their next move took them to Vandenberg Air Force Base where they fell in love with the Lompoc Valley and made many great friends. Everywhere they moved they made many lifelong friends and shared many wonderful memories. After spending five years stationed in England and a short stint at Edwards Air Force Base, they decided to move back to the Lompoc Valley in 1975. They decided to retire there and call it home.

Betty enjoyed sewing quilts, crocheting, playing cards, traveling and spending time with friends and family. She was active in the Grange, the Lompoc Masonic Lodge and the Shriners and was always ready to lend a helping hand. She was an extremely hard worker and worked as a telephone operator and a homemaker. She is preceded in death by her parents and siblings Raymond, Junior, Bob, Donald, Larry, Ronald, Mildred, Vera, Lois, and Fern. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Mike, children Nina and Linda and her husband Tom, brother Butch, grandchildren Jeremy, Melissa, Dina, Michael, and Thomas, and nine great-grandchildren.

Services will be held Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 11:00am at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary with Pastor John Reil of Peace Lutheran Church to officiate. A celebration of her life with food and refreshments will be held after the ceremony at the Masonic Lodge. She will be buried in Hooker, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers please, make donations to Shriners Hospital for Children at 3160 Geneva Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020.