Betty Marie Ruffner, the oldest child of Jack Freeman and Eva Stuart Freeman, was born December 18, 1926 in Wichita, Kansas. Growing up in Chicago, Betty loved to ice skate, sing in her church choir, accompany her father to the Cubs games and ride the 'EL'. Her family moved "out west" to Concord, California in 1941, and she would frequently lament that she thought her parents had taken her to "the end of the earth". While working in her parents' restaurant, she met her future husband, William F. Ruffner. Betty graduated from Diablo Valley High School in 1944, and attended San Jose College for one year prior to marrying Bill in December 1945, while he was home on leave from the Navy. In 1955, they moved to the Ruffner family ranch on Jalama Road. Betty and Bill were active in the community for many years and she was one of two remaining members of Sewing Club, which met every week for over 60 years. Betty retired from Santa Barbara County, Lompoc District Attorney's Office in 1986. She was a beautiful seamstress, sharing her talents for many years as a 4-H Leader. She had boundless energy, enjoyed all types of music, especially Broadway musicals, and most of all loved her involvement in her children and grandchildren's activities. Betty spent the last few years in an Assisted Living Retirement Center in Twin Falls, Idaho until her passing, December 12, 2015.

Betty is survived and cherished by her three children, Charles Ruffner (Joyce) of Lompoc, Sharon Hecht of Central Point, Oregon, Susan (Jeff) Harris of Twin Falls, Idaho and her sister-in-law, Nadine Freeman of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has seven grandchildren: Keith Sanders, Kim Johnston, Jackie Myers, Renee Ruffner, Benjamin Harris, Bill Ruffner and Andrea Werbeck; twelve great grandchildren: Alex, Tashia, Joelle, Austin, Lacey, Shay, Julianna, Kole, Jacob, Colin, Dylan, and Lauren; one great-great granddaughter, Madilyn, and numerous nieces and nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, her father and mother, sister Jeannine Umbenhower, and brother Robert Freeman, half-brother Berdell Freeman, brothers-in law and sisters-in-law Vern and Charlotte Moss and Paul and Katie Ziesche.

Services will be held at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, Friday, December 18, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. with graveside following at Lompoc Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Lompoc Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Lompoc, CA 93438 or Lompoc Pops.