Obituary: Betty LaVon Ayoutt

Betty Lavon Penfold Wayne Ayoutt, still very spry at 94 years old, passed away on March 19, 2025, at Madrone Hospice in Yreka with her family at her side. Betty was born in Southgate, California, on November 14, 1930. Betty was raised in Southern California until the age of six when she, her mother, brother Gene, and sister Colleen, moved to Nebraska, where she resided until the age of 16, when she moved back to Southern California to live with her father and cherished step-mother.

Betty thereafter graduated from Chaffey High School, Ontario, California in 1950, and moved to Thermal, California, where in 1951, she met and married Jack Wayne, making their first home in Thermal. Their first daughter, Shirley, greeted them in 1952. Jack, wanting to get out of the fast-growing area of Riverside County, in 1959, moved the family to Hornbrook, California, residing on the Lauren Paine Ranch on the Klamath River.

While Jack tended the ranch, Betty began her career as a nurses aid at Siskiyou General Hospital. Jack and Betty also began to take in foster children to raise with young Shirley. Through fostering, they found a beautiful young girl named Bernice and soon began proceedings to adopt her. Shortly thereafter, as frequently happens, Jack and Betty found they were expecting another baby and along came Raeleen.

During these years, the family lived on ranches in Hornbrook, Big Springs, Willow Creek and Montague, making wonderful, lifelong friends everywhere they lived.

In 1978, her beloved Jack passed away, leaving Betty to raise Raeleen. Betty supported the family by continuing her nursing career with Beverely Manor and retired after 25 years of service.

After quite a few years, Betty then met her next love, Ralph Ayoutt, and the couple married in 1998. They first resided on the old Vanderbilt Ranch (Shadow Valley Ranch) in Edgewood as caretakers. After a few years, Betty and Ralph wanted their own home and moved to Montague to spend the rest of their days. Ralph predeceased Betty in 2021. Betty and Ralph were happily married a total of 23 years.

Betty was an active member for many, many years of the Order of the Eastern Star, the United Methodist Church and more recently, the Montague Community Church. And, the activity that Betty loved most in the world to participate in, was square dancing. She and Ralph enjoyed many years of dancing all over Siskiyou County in their glorious outfits. However, what we remember most about Betty is that she was a devout Christian woman, always reading scripture, praying with the pastor and giving testimony. Betty loved God more than anything and we are now rest assured she is at peace with our heavenly father.

A special heartfelt thank you not only goes to the staff at Madrone Hospice but also to Betty’s daughter and son-in-law, Bernie and Jim Burns along with her granddaughter Mary Kelly for the countless hours and absolutely wonderful care they provided to Betty in the last years of her life, which allowed her to remain living in her own home until shortly before her passing.

Betty is survived by a sole remaining sister, Wynita Bales of Nebraska; her three daughters, Bernice Burns (Jim) of Montague; Shirley Wayne of Reno, Nevada; and Raeleen Wayne-Copley (Mike) of Grenada; grandchildren, Casey Justice (Christina), Tracy Hilsenberg (Mark), Mary Kelly and April Burns; 10 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Betty was preceded in death by most of her siblings; two husbands, a step-son Jack Wayne, Jr., and her great granddaughter Alyssa Justice.

Betty will be missed by all who loved her, especially her granddaughters and her very good church lady friends.

A service will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Montague Community Church, with reception to follow. Donations in the memory of Betty Wayne-Ayoutt can be made to Madrone Hospice or Rescue Ranch.

sourced: Girdner Funeral Chapel

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