Elizabeth "Betty" Kellogg

An innovative educator, a gifted photographer, family "earth mother," and an inspiring life-force for those who knew her personally, Elizabeth "Betty" Kellogg remained active and fiercely independent until her passing at 95 at her longtime family residence. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, her Norwegian-American family moved to L.A. when she was a child. She received a B.A. in English (minor in Art) from UCLA, and met her husband, William Kellogg while they were both graduate students at UC Berkeley. She began teaching at the high school level, and settled in Pacific Palisades, California where Will developed his distinguished career as a research meteorologist. Will's appointment as a Senior Scientist (to become future Associate Director) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research brought the family to Boulder in 1964, where she became one of the first Head Start teachers in Boulder County. Combining her two passions, early childhood education and photography, she published her first book, Following Through with Young Children (1969). Her great gift, the ability to capture images of children in candid moments of intense curiosity and engagement was the hallmark that continued in her role as Documentarian in the 1970's for the Mountain View Center for Environmental education, developed by Frances and David Hawkins. At the age of 90, she began writing her second (two volume) book, David Hawkins and the Pond Study and David and Frances Hawkins and the Mountain View Center for Environmental Education (2010). The work makes a lasting contribution to understanding the legacy of the Hawkins' groundbreaking work in early childhood experiential education, both in the wealth of Betty's beautiful photos and her incisive analysis. She maintained her close association with The Journey School, which continues to incorporate Hawkins' philosophy of early childhood education, until the end. In 2009 she was honored with the Hawkins Lifetime Achievement Award given by Boulder County Association for the Education of Young Children. Betty's oldest friends and family call her "Thor" (from her maiden name of Thorson), and the association with the Norse god of thunder and lightning is appropriate, given her unflagging energy and continual creative resourcefulness. Not surprisingly, she was named one of the "Spunky Women of Boulder" by the Butcher Foundation is 2007. In addition to her contribution to early childhood education, she was devoted to her family and adored working and "playing" with them on the mountain property they all loved. Betty/Thor is survived by five children, eight grandchildren, two step grandchildren, one great granddaughter, and her beloved basset hound Boo. Tributes can be posted and viewed via the following link: www.cristmortuary.com