Individual 284: Lawyer, Mary Elizabeth (Betty)

Individual Record 284

Name} Lawyer, Mary Elizabeth (Betty)

Family History} Olson

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Female

Birth: Date} Fam 14 Oct 1912

Place} Alhambra, Los Angeles, California

Marr.: Date} Exa 18 Aug 1936 M

Place} Alhambra, Los Angeles, California (Link)

Death: Date} Exa 1 Jul 2010

Place} San Gabriel, Los Angeles, California

Burial: Date} Cremation

Place}

Grave Marker}

Source 1}	73 = Interview
Source 2}	257 = Interview
Source 3}	213 = Photograph
Source 4}	162 = Letter
Source 5}	758 = 1920 USA cen
Source 6}	2190=Newspaper
Source 7}	751 = 1930 USA cen
Source 8}	2195=Yearbook
Source 9}	1430=Marriage rec
Source 10}	2191=Newspaper
Source 11}	2194=City directory
Source 12}	325 = Business dir
Source 13}	1446=1940 USA cen
Source 14}	1245=Newspaper
Source 15}	2192=1950 USA cen
Source 16}	502 = Newspaper
Source 17}	862 = Photograph
Source 18}	1106=Biography
Source 19}	2196=Obituary
Source 20}	680 = S.S. record
Source 21}	2141=Cemetery rec

Parents: } Arthur A. Lawyer & Ida E. Olson
Relationship No.} 118

1st Household No.} 261 = Alhambra, Los Angeles, California

Occupation 1} Artist/painter
Occupation 2} Housewife

Religion/Church} Presbyterian

Spouses: Prime} Kimball, Ward Walrath
Total Number of} 1

Notes: Mary Elizabeth Lawyer was born 14 Oct 1912 in Alhambra, Los Angeles, California. She was always known as Betty. Her parents were Arthur Lawyer and Ida Olson. Her older brother Lewis had been born in 1907, and her younger brother Richard (Dick) was born in 1915.

In the 1920 U.S. census, Mary Elizabeth, 7, was living with her parents, Arthur A. Lawyer, 47. and Ida E., 42, at North Third Street, Alhambra, California. This was their long time family residence, which was owned free of mortgage. Her father was a bookkeeper for the Olson Lumber Company, which was owned by her uncle, Frank Olson. Her brothers were Lewis O., 12, and Richard E., 4.

In 1922, while in grammar school, Betty participated in two playets for a benefit for the Central Parent-Teacher Association. She went on to Alhambra High School, where she studied art and was in the Senior play in 1930.

In the 1930 U.S. census, Betty E., 17, was living with her parents, Arthur A. Lawyer, 58, and Ida E., 52. in the the family on North Third Street, Alhambra. Her father was still working as bookkeeper for the Olson Lumber Co., and her brother Lewis O., 22, was driving a truck for the lumber company. Her brother Richard E., was 14.

After attending Alhambra High School, Betty went on to Pasadena Junior College for three years. She was a member of the Zeta Gamma Phi honorary organization, the Y. W. C. A., and the Players' Guild. She worked on various stage productions at the Alhambra Theater, and in the mid-1930's she directed one-act plays at the Pasadena Playhouse as part of a WPA arts project.

In 1935 she was hired by Walt Disney Productions. Here she worked in the ink and paint department. Her duties expanded from painting cels to also choosing colors and creating color models to guide the work of other painters. She worked on Fantasia, developing the dry-brush technique on cels. She also did some modeling for the title character in Snow White. It was here that she met her future husband Ward Kimball, the animator.

Betty Lawyer, 22, and Ward Kimball, 22, were married 18 Aug 1936 in her family home in Alhambra by the Rev. S.J. Kennedy, of the First Presbyterian Church. They spent their honeymoon at Lake Tahoe, returning to live in her family's home. She left the studios in 1939 to be a full-time mother and housewife.

Life was never dull for Betty, for in 1938 she and her husband bought a vintage 1881 steam locomotive from the defunct Nevada Central Railroad, and with the help of friends and relatives, unloaded it onto tracks on a 2½ acre property located at 1616* Ardendale Ave., in the unincorporated area of San Gabriel. Betty's cousin Don Olson helped with the unloading. This was the start of the Grizzly Flats Railroad. In 1939, the couple built their family home at this location. It is where they raised their three children, Kelly, John, and Chloe.

In the 1940 U.S. census, Betty, 26, and Ward Kimball, 26, were living at 1616 Ardendale Avenue, San Gabriel, California. Ward was an artist in the movie industry, and had earned $5,000 in the prior year. Betty had earned $950. Their house was valued at $13,000. Betty had completed three years of college, and Ward, one year. Their daughter Katherine was 1 month old.

In the 1950 U.S. census, Betty, 37, and Ward Kimball, 37, were enumerated in their Ardendale residence. Betty was keeping house, and Ward was an artist musician. Their children were Kelly K., 10, John R., 8, and Chloe, 3.

On 23 Jan 1988, two planes collided over the San Gabriel Valley, sending one plummeting into their front yard. Betty, Ward, and Kelly were in the house at the time, but were not injured. Two aboard the plane were killed.

In 2004, Betty and Ward attended the 50th Wedding Anniversary party for her cousin Don Olson and his wife Frances. Betty is seen in the photograph at right with several of her Olson cousins.

Ward died 8 Jul 2002, after having been married to Betty for 66 years. Betty died 1 Jul 2010 at the age of 97 years. Services were private, followed by cremation. A wonderful tribute to Betty, with photographs, is found at Cartoonbrew.

*The 1940 USA census and a 1946 newspaper article identified the address as 1616 Ardendale Road. The houses were renumbered at some point in time, and the present address is 8910 Ardendale.