Beverly Joyce Horttor

Beverly Joyce (Babb) Horttor was born October 5, 1936 at the Stork’s Nest in Tuscon, Pima Co. AZ., and died September 23, 2025 in Newberg, Yamhill Co., OR.

Although Beverly was born in Tucson it was not long before her family moved to Yuma, AZ. Beverly went to kindergarten and part of first grade in Yuma, AZ. Her father worked for Southern Pacific Railroad for 10 years and the family lived in Yuma and Tucson during that time. She went to Amphitheater School for the rest of the first grade and through the fourth grade. At that time the family moved to Siloam Springs, AR, Beverly went to fifth grade and sixth grades there.

In 1948 the family moved to Myrtle Creek, OR, and stayed there until after she completed High School. During her school years Beverly was active in Girl Scouts and Theta Rho. She sang in the church choir, taught Sunday School classes for younger children, and was active in Methodist Youth Fellowship. While she was high school she worked in the drugstore/soda fountain. Her high school English teacher encouraged her to apply for scholarships. Beverly received both a local PTA scholarship and a four year state PTA scholarship.

In 1954 she enrolled at Oregon College of Education at Monmouth, OR. She worked her way through college waiting tables at OCE (and Oregon Caves in 1957), working in the dormitory kitchen, life-guarding and teaching swimming.

She met her husband-to-be, David Horttor, while working in the dorm kitchen during her freshman year. They were married September 20, 1957 by Rev. Roy C. Agte at the First Methodist Church in Myrtle Creek, OR. She taught swimming, did student teaching, and sang in the choir as a newly wed her senior year.

David and Beverly raised four children, Teresa, Timothy, Tamera and Trent. Family recreation was bowling, fishing, hunting, playing croquet, and swimming as the most popular activities. They also spent countless hours of travel by automobile sightseeing, singing songs, and playing auto bingo.

Beverly taught elementary grades in Roseburg, Independence, Salem, and Jefferson Co. School Dist. 509-J. She was also an NEA volunteer who helped organize teachers in a tri-county area, negotiated contracts, and processed grievances from 1972 – 1982. She retired in 1992 after 31 years of teaching. Twenty-eight years were in the Jefferson Co. District.

In retirement Beverly enjoyed doing genealogy, reading and research, traveling to spend time with family, singing in the church choir, line dancing, chair aerobics, swimming, chatting on the net, and bowling. When DNA testing for family history genetics started Beverly learned how to use DNA information to verify family matches.

Although many of her activities fell away as she grew older, it created more time for genealogy. Her genealogy projects were many and varied. She enjoyed solving the puzzle of who is connected to whom, finding that next generation back, and finding potential family connections with everyone she met. She had a passion for learning about people, their ancestors, and descendants and helping as many people as she could learn more about their ancestry.

Beverly felt she was blessed, had lived a wonderful life, and had no regrets. She left this life on her own terms. Her time in hospice came to an end when she drifted off to sleep and woke up in paradise with the ancestors.

She is survived and missed by two sisters-in-law: Fern Zahn and Raye (Doug) Balfour. Four children: Teresa Hill (Timothy) Portland, OR; Timothy Horttor (Melinda), Chugiak, AK; Tamera Wadleigh (John Minick), Tigard, OR; Trent Horttor (Erin), Mountainview, HI. Seven grandchildren: William, Shane, Corey (Regina), Michael (Cristelle), Kristalynn, Gabrielle (Sebastian), Phoebe (Colton). Eight: great-grandchildren Scottie, Elijah, Carter, Aiden, Ben, Sophia, Sebastian, and Vera; her friend and neighbor Mavin Kistler; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins all of whom she loved dearly.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 55 years H. David Horttor; her parents: Maurice Babb and Laila (Miles) Babb Dexter; her sister Vera (Babb) Sutherland; her brothers and sisters-in-law Harvey (Wanda) Horttor, Bonnie (Dave) Workinger, Gretha (Jimmy) Pelton, and Harold Zahn.

A celebration of life will be held at the Newberg First United Methodist Church Saturday April 25th at 1pm. (1205 Deborah Rd. Newberg, Oregon 97132) For those unable to attend in person a live stream will be available. Please send email to [email protected] for live stream details.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Meals on Wheels, Western Oregon University Fund for WOU, The Oregon Genealogical Forum, or a charity of your choice.

To carry on Beverly’s passion for genealogy please consider writing your own life story for future generations.