Betty Norton President

I came to Richland in 1944 with my parents and two younger brothers and now live in the house I moved into in 1949. I was a secretary for 20 years, 15 years with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and five years with Battelle. Three weeks after I became a co-department secretary, my father died unexpectedly while on vacation in Arkansas and my mother followed him six months later. Although I was 55 years old at the time and my husband, Bill, was 60, we decided to take early retirement and retired in 1989. We travel, camp, fish, enjoy our four kids, son-in-law and daugher-in-law, five granddaughters and ten great-grandchildren.

When the Richland Community Center opened, I was selected to be one of the six Community Center Advisory Board Members and was secretary for the first 19 months, then turned it over to another person for the rest of our term. During this period, I met Jack and became more and more involved in the Richland Seniors Association (RSA). When the RSA secretary had to resign due to ill health, Jack asked if I would take over, and I did.

I'm also on the RSA Activity Committee and Treasurer of a Richland TOPS group. While still working, I was active in the Richland Business and Professional Women's Luncheon Club and International Training in Communications (formerly Toastmistress's Club).

My husband Bill and I celebrated our 55th Wedding Anniversary on January 17th, 2009.