Helen "Betty" Baer Walton
April 12, 2010

Helen Elizabeth "Betty" (Baer) Walton died peacefully in her sleep three minutes after midnight on April 12, 2010, at her home in Salt Lake City. She was comforted by her children and her caregiver.

Betty, one of two children of Jacob William and Florence (Durbin) Baer, was born September 7, 1922 in Malvern, Iowa She attended Malvern High School and enjoyed softball and the piano. An accomplished pianist, she played both at home and at recitals for her church. She attended Lindenwood College and the University of Iowa before moving to Denver to work. There she met her husband-to-be, Paul Talmage Walton. They were married in Omaha, Nebraska on July 3, 1944 and moved to Casper, Wyoming where Paul was in the oil business. Betty helped him with his geological business and they had two children, Paul and Ann, born in 1945 and 1947. Eventually they moved to Salt Lake City. In 1957, they bought their ranch in Jackson Hole and enjoyed many wonderful years there. Betty always loved driving the cattle to and from the range and seeing them on the ranch. She said that when they bought the ranch, they thought they were going to do a lot of trail riding and fishing, but they never did a lot of that because there was always so much other interesting work to do!

They were involved with the Jackson Hole polo club and spent many hours working the horses, traveling to various places for matches, and socializing with friends. Betty said she met many wonderful people from all over the world who were interested in polo. They often spent winters in Indio, California with their horses, enjoying the warmer weather.

She and Paul did a lot of traveling, which she enjoyed immensely. She even traveled to Libya, at one time, to be with Paul while he was working on business there. She loved seeing Thailand and parts of India, but was a little less enthusiastic about Antarctica!

Betty loved the ranch in Jackson. She was so proud they were able to protect it from future development through the Jackson Hole Land Trust. She felt at peace looking out over the hayfields knowing they would be protected for all time. She also enjoyed the wildlife which visited the house including the eagles, elk, moose, black bears, and the occasional mountain lion. All her life, she was an avid gardener, so her flowers were beautiful and well tended.

Betty always enjoyed being with people. She loved having friends and family come by to visit. Her children, her granddaughters, great granddaughter, and her brother and his family from Iowa, were always welcomed enthusiastically as were so many other friends and relatives from all walks of life. Many discussions on all kinds of topics were held around her dining room table with its beautiful view of the Tetons. She will be sorely missed by all those who knew her.

Betty is survived by her son Paul T. Walton, Jr.; daughter Ann E. Walton; granddaughters, Aspen Brinton and Laura Thompson and husband John; great granddaughter Sydney Thompson; brother, W.D. "Bill" Baer and wife Donna of Malvern, and their family and grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to:
The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
P.O. Box 574
Jackson, WY 83001
website: cfjacksonhole.org

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