Thursday, June 10, 2010

A Tale of Betty and Catherine

I found this wonderful scrapbook recently here in Grand Rapids at an estate sale.  When I got home I discovered that inside were some mementos and a picture.  More on that later.
The illustrations were signed "Betty Betz", so, being me, I looked her up on Google.  It seems she was a socialite illustrator and writer of teenage advice books and a cartoonist.  She had the first advice column for teenagers.  She also was one of the first female celebrities to have a tv show.  She designed clothes for teens.  She had a pretty remarkable career.  I found her obituary in the Palm Beach Post and the Palm Beach Daily News.  She died at age 90 on 17 April 2010 in Bermuda.

There are a lot of products with her illustrations on them, and this woman features some of them in her museum and website.

Now, back to the former owner of the scrapbook.  Here is her picture:


Her name is Catherine Terze and she received this book as a gift from her aunt and uncle in 1956.  She graduated from St Mary High School in Jackson, Michigan in 1961.  When I Googled her name I found that she may still be alive and living in Jackson, Michigan.
   
So it looks like her book made it's way to Grand Rapids via a relative or some one who bought it at an estate sale.I recently sold the scrapbook in my Etsy store, but kept the graduation announcement and picture.  Catherine, if you're out there, let me know if you want your picture back!

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