Obituary: Caraway, Betty Lee
Age 92
Betty was born March 26, 1923 in Bisbee, Arizona to Dewey and Helen Ward, the first of two daughters.
Betty graduated from Bisbee High, and went on to receive her B.A degree from Arizona State University in 1946.
She was always very popular, and received the “Gold B” award upon high school graduation, given to the most all-around outstanding girl and boy in the senior class.
Betty began her teaching career in Fontana, California and went on to teach many years in Redlands, California.
She took some time off to give birth to her sons Ben and Charles Osbun, and then resumed teaching.
Betty met the love of her life, Ed Caraway, and they were married in Redlands in 1964.
Ed brought five more boys into the combined family, so now Betty had seven boys, four of which were teenagers at the same time!
Weekends were spent water-skiing and camping, and fun was at the center of it all.
Ed and Betty moved to Spokane in time to witness Expo ‘74, and immediately fell in love with the Northwest.
They made life-long friends while living in the 9-Mile area, and block parties were the norm.
Betty loved to play bridge, and was in the same group for many years.
She played golf regularly at Sundance, and she and Ed continued to boat, fish, camp, and raise the boys, most of which came to live with them at one time or another in 9-Mile.
Betty never heard a song she couldn’t play on her piano or organ, which she played beautifully.
She taught many students to play over many years.
Then there was dancing!
Betty and Ed loved to ballroom dance, and did they ever.
They even danced at the Spokane Opera House (now INB Performing Arts Center) during a swing concert.
She could do them all, but it was really something to watch them dance the West Coast Swing.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Ben Osbun II, and second husband Ed Caraway.
Betty is survived by her younger sister Leslie, of Folsom, California, whom she loved dearly.
Also surviving her are her boys, Ben Osbun III (Kathy) of Santa Rosa; Charles Osbun (Carefree, Arizona); Chris Caraway (Barbara) Cheney, Washington; Mike Caraway (Carole) Mesa, Arizona; Charles Caraway (Lori) Spokane; Bruce Caraway (Suzanne) Louisville, Kentucky and Randy Caraway (Pegg) Redmond, Washington.
Betty leaves 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 3 adoring nieces and their children.
Betty was a dynamo.
Her glass was never half-full or half-empty, but always full to the brim, spilling to the floor, and filling with more.
She will be missed by all that knew her.
The family thanks the Hospice House of Spokane (North) for the wonderful care and love they provided Betty while she was there.
The family would also ask in lieu of flowers to make a donation in Betty’s name to Hospiceofspokane.org.
There will be a remembrance gathering Saturday, August 15th, from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Audubon Park Presbyterian Church, N. 3908 Driscoll Blvd, Spokane.
Please come to share a memory, or a Betty-ism.
She would have loved that.