Betty Ann Wunn

Betty Ann Wunn, born Moloso, was a longtime resident of Portland, OR. She passed away January 10th, 2016 at the age of 95 years old. She was born in little Addy, Washington, an hour north of Spokane, Washington, on April 30, 1920. Betty’s father was Edgar George Moloso (1894-1961), born in Milaca, Minnesota, and her mother was Anna Louise (1895-1992, born Annie Laurie) Bell Moloso born in Cheney, Washington.

Betty’s family moved to the Portland area in the early 1920’s and her father was offered a job with Union Pacific Railroad. During the 1920’s, the family lived in and around the Parkrose neighborhood of Portland. Betty’s grandparents, Hugh David Bell (1867-1945) and Bertha Peters Bell (1878-1953), also moved to the Portland area and lived down the street from Betty and her parents during her childhood. Betty spent many happy days visiting her grandparents house and playing in her grandfather’s beloved garden.

Like most people of their time, Betty’s life was made harder by the Great Depression and the loss of a job for her father. At one point during that time, the family was homeless and lived in a shack while making subsistence wages working as farm laborers. Her father also became an itinerant car mechanic on the side. Eventually, her father, a master carpenter, was able to afford to build a small house for his family and ended up constructing many of the houses in the neighborhood at 112th and Marx St. in the Parkrose neighborhood.

Betty attended Parkrose High School and graduated as a junior with distinction as the salutatorian of the class of 1937. Betty also served in the court of Job’s Daughters during her youth.

Betty worked as a secretary to a lawyer as her first job out of high school until, unbeknownst to Betty, the lawyer was found to be committing fraud with his clients and attempted to commit suicide. Unfortunately, Betty had to identify the man for the police. She then worked for Barnes Hospital as a clerical assistant which carried her through part of World War II. For the rest of the war, she worked in the personnel department at the Kaiser Shipyard.

On October 12, 1940, Betty wed Otho L. Gentry at Parkrose United Community Church of Christ. Betty and Otho were both avid and skilled dancers and appropriately met on the dance floor, which resulted in a whirlwind courtship. The marriage produced no children and the couple parted ways in 1944. Betty then met Donald Wunn, a former music teacher, who was working at the shipyards as a welding supervisor. The two were married on September 28, 1946, in a small church ceremony. After the war, Donald began working as a musical instrument salesman for the H&L Music Co. in Portland. He eventually started his own business, Don Wunn Music, which was a local institution for 30 years. Over the years, Betty worked at the business in various capacities.

The Wunn’s divorced in 1978 and Betty began her life anew. During the later part of the decade, she worked again as an executive secretary, first in a legal firm, and then later to the owner of the Holiday Inn across from what is now the Moda Center.  She then became Executive Secretary to Albert Gentner Jr., the well respected owner of the both the historic Imperial Hotel, and the iconic Mallory Hotel. She worked in that capacity for 16 years before retiring.

Betty had a special place in her heart for immigrants to the United States and in her capacity at the Imperial Hotel. She had many opportunities to help people navigating the often confusing ways and procedures of their new country. Betty gained many grateful friends by helping those in need. She was invited to many weddings, graduations, and ceremonies over the years by her grateful new-found friends. One became an “adoptive” son, Quoc Van “Jason” Le of Vancouver, WA.

Betty worked a second job for many years to make ends meet by serving people at the concession stands of the Memorial Coliseum and the Civic Stadium. From that community, Betty had many friends who she was still in touch with to her last days. She counted these friends as dear and precious.

Betty loved to travel, having been to Europe, Japan, Mexico, and many regions of the United States. She loved to garden and had a prolific green thumb like her grandfather. She was also an avid reader. She engaged in very deep and long lasting friendships that lasted a lifetime. She seemed to gain friends wherever she went, with many of her friends being many decades younger. In retirement, she spent time volunteering at local schools helping children learn to read and acting as an adult mentor. She also became the neighborhood “mother” and adopted her neighbors. Her house was the focal point of much local activity. She always had something to do, including a project or errand in mind, and a list of interests a mile long.

Betty is survived by her four children: Corwin L. Wunn of Milwaukie; Ricard S. Wunn of Hockinson, Washington; Lindsay A. Wunn of Gresham; and Shelaun A. Norby of Happy Valley. She is also survived by five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her Mother, Father, younger brother Vernon Edgar Moloso, and her granddaughter Chelsea R. Wunn.