BETTY EHMAN

1935 - 2025

BETTY M. MARKS EHMAN

Jan. 12, 1935 – Apr. 30, 2025

Born Betty Marie Long in Roberts, Idaho during the 'Blizzard of '35' to Thurman Long and Merel Hill. Betty dreamed of traveling while living in Roberts and vowed to hop the train someday for locations unknown. The family relocated to Idaho Falls, Idaho, when Merel married Darwin Sucher. Betty graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1953 and enrolled in Nursing School at Idaho Falls Latter-Days Saints Hospital - a calling she had heard from childhood. She was among the twenty-four graduates on September 10, 1956. In 1957, Betty hopped a train out of Idaho Falls with a friend who was traveling to Modesto, California to meet up with her fiance. Little did Betty know that she would also meet her future fiance and husband at the train depot in Modesto. Three months after meeting David Lee Marks, Betty and Dave married and over the following three years, in between working as a Nurse, Betty gave birth to three daughters: Cynthia Lee, Catherine Ann, and Carol Lynn. The family relocated a few times in California and to Reno, Nevada before landing back in Idaho. After five years in Blackfoot, the family moved back to California. While raising their daughters in Borrego Springs, Betty and Dave commuted to Brawley and Betty worked as the Director of Nurses at Pioneer Memorial Hospital. After her divorce from Dave, Betty moved to Brawley; she began dating her partner in life and future husband, Donald Ehman, MD. Betty and Doc shared the same wanderlust and, over their years together, they traveled the world. In 1982, she relocated once again to work as the Assistant Director of Nurses at the Whittaker Corporation Hospital in Saudi Arabia! After three years, Betty returned to Brawley and, while her three daughters attended college, Betty returned to college as well. Within three years Betty earned her Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree and Doctorate of Education and began her Second Act as the Director of the Nursing Program at Imperial Valley College. Betty retired in 2000 and continued to travel with Doc and host family and friends at their home in San Felipe, Baja California. Betty moved to Poway Gardens in Poway, California in 2019, after Doc passed.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Thelma. She is survived by her brother, Dee (Kristi); daughters: Cynthia Karp, Catherine Paredes, and Carol Dickerson (Ross); grandchildren: Nicole (George), Daniel, Alexander (Jenn), Brandon, Casey, Kelsie, Emma, and Andrew; great-grandchildren: Levi and Wells; and her nieces and nephews.

Throughout her life, Mom opened doors with her smile, brought people together with her grace and loved with all of her heart.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association at: https://www.alz.org/comments and condolences may be shared at: https://www.forevermissed.com/betty-marksehman/about. Memorial service location, date, and time TBD.