YOUR AD HERE »

Obituary: Ortencia Bettger

Ortencia Bettger
Provided Photo
Ortencia Bettger

November 13, 1924 – June 15, 2020

There are two dilapidated old houses sitting on the hillside to the left as you drive to the Twin Landfill site. The larger of the two homes was the birthplace of lifelong Routt County resident, Ortencia Elizabeth Gonzales Bettger. Born on November 13, 1924, Ortencia was the oldest daughter of nine children born to Juanita and Phillip Gonzales. The family later moved to Mount Harris where Ortencia attended school, worked at the local drug store, and met the love of her life. She married Cecil Eugene Bettger on October 13, 1948. Shortly after they married the couple moved to Steamboat, where they would raise their children, run a sand and gravel business for forty-five years and spend the rest of their lives. They were married for sixty-seven years before Cecil passed away in 2015.

Ortencia and Cecil had two children, a son, Cecil Michael Bettger and a daughter, Veronica Elizabeth Bettger Blake, three grandchildren, Jason Blake, Tiffany Blake McGuire, Brian Blake, and four great grandchildren, Derek Blake, Devin Blake, Kaden Blake and Lillian Hayden. Ortencia was completely devoted to her family. She enjoyed cooking and hosting huge family dinners, and camping and fishing. She loved to play the guitar, the organ, the piano, and to sing and dance. Four over four decades, she was an active member of the VFW Auxiliary. Ortencia left this world on June 15, 2020 at the age of 95. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. There will be a celebration of Ortencia’s life on August 22, 2020 at 2 p.m. at the Steamboat Springs Cemetery.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.