Betty Ruth Wagner

Betty Ruth (Sanders) Wagner was born in Tucumcari, New Mexico on October 10, 1929, at Great Aunt Maud's house.   Her first home was in San Jon, New Mexico.  They lived in one of the rooms of the schoolhouse where her Dad was a teacher.   Through the years they moved first to Grady, Hollene, and then Bellview New Mexico.  Then they went to southern New Mexico to Prairie View and on to Monument where she graduated from high school as Valedictorian.

Betty went to Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas with a major in Art and a minor in Home Economics.  One of her favorite activities and a great honor was her membership in the Cowgirls, a service organization of the school.

Her first teaching job was in Fort Stockton, Texas.  She married Elmer Biddy in 1950 and they moved to Paducah, Texas for two years. From there, they moved to Odessa, Texas. Elmer worked for Phillips Petroleum until his retirement.  They had two daughters, Vicki, born in 1954 and Terri, born in 1958.  Betty began teaching full time again in 1964 and retired in 1985.

Betty and Elmer divorced in 1983.  She married Melvyn Wagner in 1985.  They moved to Hobbs, New Mexico for one year and then to Ruidoso, New Mexico after he retired from Chevron.  They loved living in Ruidoso, going to the horse races and square dancing.  She moved her parents, Nelson and Ruth Sanders to Ruidoso and took care of them.  Her Mother passed away in 1988.  They lived there for more than seven years before Melvyn passed away from health issues in 1993.

Three years later, Betty met Bob Harvey.  They both loved to bowl and travel.  They moved from Ruidoso to El Paso taking her father with them.  After her father, died in 2006, they moved to Bernalillo, New Mexico to an active adult community.  Unfortunately, Bob had health issues and died in 2017.  They were together for over twenty-one years but never married.   Betty continued to live alone after his death.

In October of 2023, she moved to BeeHive, an assisted living facility in Bernalillo.  Betty passed away peacefully on March 6, 2024 at the age of 94.

A true native and proud New Mexican, Betty will be missed by her two daughters, Vicki Biddy and Terri Vakil and her younger brother, Harold Sanders and his daughter Beth Sanders, and three grandchildren, Berklee Morganto, Kaycee Morganto, and Patrick Morganto.

May Betty rest in peace and may God bless her soul eternally.

A graveside service will be held 1:00pm Friday, March 15, 2024, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Ruidoso.