Charlotte E. Claude

Betty was born in County Down in the North of Ireland, April 9, 1929. She was raised in Belfast, her mother running a boarding house along with her two sisters. Several times during her youth she came to live in Coleraine, NI where her grandfather owned a farm known as the Cranagh House. This included a time during WWII where she was moved for safety as Belfast was being bombed by the Germans. After the war, she worked for the travel agency Thomas Cook and Sons. It was the first of many positions which showed her excitement and aptitude for business.
She emigrated to the United States in 1948 on the Queen Elizabeth I and was met in New York City by Horace and Grace Albright. Horace Albright was one of the founders of the National Park Service. Before heading west, she got a tour of the city and was treated to an evening performance of the Rockettes.
Betty continued onto Bishop, CA, to follow her older sister who had married an American GI before the war's end. In Bishop she met George (Coky) Claude. They would be married in 1951at the Santa Barbara Mission. She and George raised two children, Terry and Mark in Gardena, CA. When her children were older, she went back to work for TRW Systems working on such projects as the building of the lunar module for the Apollo missions. She enjoyed hiking as a member of the Sierra Club and loved playing in the 9 hole golf league after work.
Later, George and Betty moved to Orange County, CA where Betty began a new career selling real estate in the Laguna Woods community where she lived. Betty loved being a relator; it's entrepreneurial nature and freedom. It was her passion. She reluctantly retired at 84 yrs. young. Not content to retire on the sidelines, Betty went headfirst into the science of family ancestry, utilizing the most up to date tools/technology leaving no stone unturned to uncover her family's centuries old lineage.
In 2020 George passed and Betty moved to Woodstock, GA in 2021 to be near Terry and Mark. She lived independently in a senior community for four years enjoying time with her children who frequently took her to Murphy, TN to partake in one of her favorite activities, video poker.
Betty is survived by her children, Terry and Mark who reside outside of Atlanta, GA. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, CA. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local food bank.