Betty Lorraine
Quesinberry-Chatham 1931-2021
How does one culminate a life that was the center of family and love? Our Mother, Betty, was born in Bell, California, and was the only child from the union of Vivian May Butler-Quesinberry and Byran Fulton Quesinberry; divorce soon followed. Betty survived a disjointed family life and had four half-brothers. Byran’s sons were Bernard and Robert Quesinberry, and Vivian’s sons were Stanley and Larry Grindstaff.
Betty was sent to live with her father in Oregon and was promptly put in a Catholic boarding school, where she soon learned that rules were not her game. She became an ignored and willful child with many time outs on the school bench and slaps on the wrist. That experience lasted in her personality throughout her life.
Much later, Betty came back to California to live with her half-brother Robert (Bob) and his wife, Blanche Quesinberry, and their two children Paul and Kim. She graduated from South Gate High School and later enrolled in nursing school, where she met a life-changing friend named Louise Schmidt, who later became her spiritual guide.
Through unusual circumstances influenced by her mother, Betty married William Fred Chatham, and they had three children, Paul Terrell, Deborah Sue (Susie) and Melinda Kay (Lindy). Soon after the third child was born, divorce followed, and Betty went to live with her dear friend and rescuer Louise in Downey. Louise became “Grandma Weezes,” and without her guidance, assistance, love and introduction to her faith in God, the outcome would not have been as favorable. Weezes got Betty attending Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Angeles ,and that became the start of our faith in God as a family.
Betty later moved down the street from Weezes on Patton Road in Downey. Betty struggled as a single parent, and life was not an easy one, but with the hand of God, she made it through. Betty also got strength from a friend named Helen Gilbert, who helped her through the toils of parenting three children alone. Helen was also a single parent, and they had a lot in common to hash out. Betty’s children became her pride and purpose.
Betty had many jobs over the years, including medical assistant, airline stewardess, receptionist, Avon representative and a medical transcriber for the Long Beach Veterans Administration.
Betty is survived by her three children, Paul, Deborah (Susie) and Melinda (Lindy). Betty has 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. The grandchildren from Paul and Cindy Chatham are Marybeth Ann, Hannah Jo, Tobey Lynn, Kara Joy, Lucas Paul, Jedidiah Seth, Noelle Rose and Brenna Renee. The grandchild from Melinda (Lindy) and Robert Miller is Kascie Lynn. The grandchild from Deborah (Susie) and P. Ablon is Devin Joshua and, currently, son of Daniel, Malson. Betty helped raise infant/young boy Devin after Deborah’s divorce, which she did with much love and necessity.
Betty’s great-grandchildren are from Kara and Nathan Bishop: Hosanna Joy, Zechariah David and Obadiah Jones. The greatgrandchildren from Jedidiah and Marcella Chatham are two sons named Seth Michael and Eli David. Then, from Marybeth and Dan Miller, son Josiah Daniel.
Much later in life, Ronald and Bertha Cole helped Betty move into Leisure World, Seal Beach. Betty lived contentedly in Leisure World for 25 years. She attended the Leisure World Baptist Church, and Pastor Rolland Coburn would visit her at her home when she was physically unable to get to church.
Through struggles, tears, laughter, love and her faith in God, she left us peacefully to meet her loved friends and the Lord
