Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) was born 30 July 1919 in San Diego, California, the only child and daughter of Lyle Lawrence and Emily Kemp (Auble) Carringer.[1-4] Lyle L. Carringer (1891-1966) was born in San Diego to Henry Austin and Abbie Ardell "Della" (Smith) Carringer who built a two-story house at 2105 30th Street in San Diego in the late 1890s. Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Charles and Georgianna (Kemp) Auble. They moved to San Diego in about 1911, and Charles died in 1916.
Emily, Betty and Lyle Carringer - 1919
In the 1920 United States Census, the Lyle L. Carringer family resided at 2054 Harrison Avenue in San Diego, San Diego County, California.[5] The family included:
- Lyle L. Carringer -- head, rents, male, white, age 28, married, can read, can write, born CA, father born PA, mother born KS, an auditor in a dry goods store, a worker
- Emily K. Carringer -- wife, female, white, age 20, married, can read, can write, born IL, father born NJ, mother born Canada
- Betty Carringer -- daughter, female, white, age 5 months, born CA, father born CA, mother born IL
- Georgia K. Auble -- mother-in-law, female, white, age 50, a widow, born in Canada, parents born Canada, immigrated in 1889, naturalized in 1898
Betty Virginia Carringer grew up in the heart of San Diego during the time the city matured from a sleepy town to a major metropolis. The Carringer home was located in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of San Diego, on the block bounded by 30th Street on the west, Hawthorn Street on the south, Fern Street on the east, and Ivy Street on the north, just four blocks from the eastern edge of Balboa Park. A garden with a playhouse (known as "Mi Casita") and a greenhouse with many plants, shrubs, and trees were located in the center of the block. A vacant lot with vegetable plants, fruit trees and berry bushes occupied the south end of the block until 1953.[6]
The streetcar from downtown San Diego to North Park ran up the middle of 30th Street; there was a fire station in the next block to the north; a Piggly Wiggly market was a block north, next to the drugstore at the northeast corner of 30th Street and Juniper Street. Single family homes, some of them with grandparents living with their children, dotted the city blocks along with several apartment houses with two or four flats. There were hills and canyons in every direction, making Brooklyn Heights a unique neighborhood. From the second floor apartment at 2119 30th Street, one could look southwest toward downtown San Diego and out past Coronado Island to the Pacific Ocean. The San Diego Zoo, the Museum of Man, the Natural History Museum and the San Diego Art Museum were in the middle of Balboa Park. Betty spent many hours in that cultural mecca. The carillon from the California Tower could be heard at the house on Fern Street, as could the animal sounds from the Zoo.[6]
As a child, Betty attended Brooklyn Elementary School at 30th and Ash Streets. She grew up tall, slim, pretty and somewhat shy, with a lovely smile and a warm heart. For entertainment, Betty played in the playhouse with her friends, went skating, and on Sundays her family took rides in the car to the country, including Idyllwild, El Monte Park and Dehesa with family friends. They often went to the Los Angeles area to visit the Kemp and Pentecost families, who were extended family. As a young girl, the ZooNooZ publication of the San Diego Zoological Society published a photograph of Betty in her father's arms riding on an elephant at the Zoo.[6]
- Lyle L. Carringer - Head, owns home, worth 10,000, has a radio, male, white, age 38, married, first at age 26, born California, parents born Pennsylvania/Wisconsin, an office worker, works in dry goods store
- Emily K. Carringer - Wife, female, white, married, first at age 18, born Illinois, parents born New Jersey/Canada English
- Betty V. Carringer - daughter, female, white, single, born California, parents born California/Illinois
- Georgia K. Auble - mother-in-law, female, white, age 61, widow, born Canada English, parents born Canada English/Canada English, native language English, immigrated in 1890, a naturalized citizen.
She attended Woodrow Wilson Junior High School on El Cajon Boulevard, then attended San Diego High School at the corner of 12th Avenue and Russ Boulevard on the southern edge of Balboa Park, graduating in the class of 1936. Social activities included horseback riding, playing tennis, going to the beach, going to dances, including her Senior Prom.[8]
Betty Carringer - 1936
Betty entered San Diego State College in the fall of 1936, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in June 1940. She was a member of Phi Sigma Nu sorority, and many of her sorority sisters were lifelong friends.[9] She was an active artist during her college years and later in her life.
In the 1940 United States Census, the Carringer family resided at 2130 Fern Street in San Diego.[10] The household included:
- Lyle L. Carringer - Head of household, male, white, age 48, married, 4 years of high school, born California, lived in same house in 1935, worked the last week of March 1940, occupation is office clerk, Industry is Retail Dep[artmen]t Store, worked 52 weeks in 1939, earned $1475 in 1939, did not make over $50 in other income.
- Emily K. Carringer (provided information) - Wife, female, white, age 41, married, attended school in March 1940, 3 years of high school, born Illinois, lived in same house in 1935, did not work the last week of March 1940, had a job, occupation is clerical & saleslady, Industry is Retail Dep[artmen]t Store, worked 52 weeks in 1939, earned $269 in 1939, made over $50 in other income.
- Betty Z. Carringer - Daughter, female, white, age 20, single, attended school in March 1940, 4 years of college, born California, lived in same house in 1935, did not work the last week of March 1940, in School, occupation is student art clerk, Industry is College, worked 6 weeks in 1939, earned $100 in 1939, made over $50 in other income.
- Georgia K. Auble - Mother in law, female, white, age 71, widowed, 4 years of high school, born Ontario, Naturalized citizen, lived in same house in 1935, did not work the last week of March 1940, did Housework, occupation is housewife, Industry is own home, earned $0 in 1939, made over $50 in other income.
After college graduation, Betty's first job was as an Art teacher at Woodrow Wilson Junior High School on El Cajon Blvd. One of her students there was Marcia Chamberlain, whose cousin Fred Seaver had come to San Diego and lived with her family. One night, Marcia invited Betty to dinner at her home, and there Betty met Fred. A romance blossomed.[6]
Fred Seaver and Betty Carringer - 1942
The wedding announcement in the San Diego Union newspaper on 5 April 1942 (page 41):
"Mr. and Mrs. Lyle L. Carringer announce the engagement of their daughter, Betty Virginia, lower left, to Frederick Walton Seaver jr., son of Mrs. F.W. Seaver and the late F.W. Seaver, Leominster, Mass.
"Miss Carringer is a graduate of San Diego State college, where she affiliated with Phi Sigma Nu sorority. She is teaching in the San Diego city schools.
"Mr. Seaver is a graduate of Worcester (Mass.) Academy, and attended Dartmouth college. He is now associated with an aircraft corporation.
"The wedding date has been set for July 11. (Miss Carringer's photo by Maxwell)."
They married Sunday, July 12, 1942 at 3 o'clock at All Saint's Episcopal Church in San Diego.[3,11] The best man was Marshall Chamberlain and the matron of honor was Eleanor Steddom. They honeymooned in Laguna Beach, and started married life together at 577 Twin Oaks Avenue in Chula Vista.
After Randy's birth on 23 October 1943, Betty taught at Pacific Beach Junior High School and Memorial Junior High School in San Diego while Fred was in the Navy. Betty and Randy moved into the Lyle and Emily Carringer home while Fred was away. When Fred returned in 1946, they moved into the first-floor apartment at 2114 Fern Street. In 1947, the growing family moved into the second-floor apartment at 2119 30th Street.[6]
Their second son, Stanley Richmond Seaver, was born on 4 September 1946 in San Diego, and their third son, Scott Frederick Seaver, was born ion 16 November 1955 in San Diego.
In the 1950 United States Census, the "Fredrick W. Seaner" family was enumerated at 2119 30th Street in San Diego, San Diego County, California.[12] The household included:
- Fredrick W. Seaner - head, white, male, 38, married, born Massachusetts, worked last week, an insurance agent, for an insurance company, P[rivate employer].
- Betty C. Seaner - wife, white, female, 30, married, born California, H[ome]
- Randell J. Seaner - son, white, male, 6, nev[er married], born California.
- Stanly R. Seaver - son, white, male, age 3, nev[er married], born California.
Fred, Stan, Randy and Betty Seaver - 1954
When Randy and Stan attended Brooklyn Elementary School, Betty was involved in the PTA, using her art background to support the school activities. Betty did some substitute teaching after the boys started school, and enjoyed going on art outings with Dorothy Chamberlain and other friends. Betty again participated in Brooklyn School PTA all through Scott's years there.[6]
Stanley married in 1967, Randy married in 1970, and Scott married in 1977. Betty's three sons had four darling daughters, and Betty loved and cherished them as they grew, went to school, and married in the latter part of her life.
Randy, Betty, Scott, Fred and Stan Seaver - 1976
In the 1970's, as the children started their own families, Betty found more time for her artwork, especially enameling on copper. She bought a kiln to fire her beautiful pieces, including many angels and birds designed as ornaments, plates or wall hangings. She joined the Allied Craftsmen and the Enamel Guild and volunteered periodically at the Spanish Village in Balboa Park. She showed and sold pieces in commercial art galleries, and gave her children and grandchildren enameled ornaments at Christmas time, and commemorative plates for special occasions.[6]
When her parents died (Lyle in 1976 and Emily in 1977), Betty inherited the Carringer properties, and moved to the Point Loma house in 1977. They sold the 30th Street and Fern Street properties to provide income to live out their retirement years.[6]
Betty and Fred Seaver - 1982
Frederick Walton Seaver died of prostate cancer and a heart attack on 26 May 1983. Betty continued to enjoy her enameling, visiting with friends, and being with her family. She renewed her membership in her sorority, Sigma Alpha Nu, and enjoyed going to and hosting monthly meetings with the group.[6]
In a 1984 interview with her granddaughter, Lori Seaver, Betty said that her philosophy of life is "to be kind to everybody." She said that her heroes were Charles A. Lindbergh and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Betty doted on her grandchildren, and had special time with them in her home, at birthdays and graduations, and at their weddings.
Betty Seaver and her four granddaughters - 1992
She never got a driver's license, so Fred, and then her three sons after Fred's death, drove her every week to the grocery store in Point Loma. The boys picked her up for family events (birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Christmas, Easter, and other holidays) plus lunches and dinners out with the families. She would walk down to Rosecrans Street to take the bus to downtown San Diego and Mission Valley to take adult education classes and to shop.
Randy, Stan, Scott and Betty Seaver - 2000
Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1982, and underwent several surgeries during the next 19 years. In late 2001, she became short of breath due to fluids accumulating in her right lung. The doctor diagnosed lung cancer. The lung was drained twice, but then she said that she wanted no other surgeries or procedures. She lived with son Stan and his wife Holly for the last month of her life. The family was able to say their goodbyes at Christmas time, and she died in her sleep on the morning of 4 January 2002.[2,4,13]
She is buried with Fred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma.[14]
An obituary was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper on 13 January 2002, page B6.[15] It reads:
"Arrangements: Goodbody Mortuary. -- BETTY C. SEAVER
July 30, 1919-Jan. 4, 2002
"Betty C. Seaver, 82, of San Diego died Friday. She was born in Point Loma and was an artist and homemaker. She was a member of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen and the San Diego Enamel Guild.
"Survivors include her sons, Randall J. Seaver of Chula Vista and Stanley R. Seaver and Scott F. Seaver of El Cajon; four granddaughters; and one great-grandson.
"Services: 2 p.m. Sunday, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3598 Talbot St., San Diego.
Donations: San Diego Hospice, 4311 Third Ave., San Diego, CA 92103."
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