July 5, 1916 — December 1, 2019
Elizabeth Schaar Doty “Betty” completed her earthly mission on Dec. 1, 2019, at her home in Santa Clara, Utah, from causes incident to age. She was 103 years old. She is having a joyous reunion with her beloved husband, George; son, George Ellis, III; parents; and other family members.
Betty was born on July 5, 1916, to Louise Volkert and Rudolph Schaar in Hastings, Minnesota, and was the fifth of their six children. She grew up on the family farm and learned the value of hard work. She loved working in the garden with her mother where they grew the food they ate and had enough to share with others. When she was 16, many of the household responsibilities became hers following the death of her mother.
After high school, she attended the University of Minnesota and earned a degree in nursing. She distinguished herself in her studies and was President of the Student Nurses Association. During her duties as a nurse at Minneapolis General Hospital, she worked closely with Sister Elizabeth Kenney, a bush nurse from Australia, who pioneered innovative treatments for polio prior to the polio vaccine. It was in the Surgical Ward that she met Dr. George Ellis Doty, an intern. They were married on Nov. 18, 1942, just prior to George’s call to service in the U.S. Navy as a flight surgeon. At the conclusion of the war, Betty joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Dec. 30, 1945. Their marriage was solemnized in the Logan Temple in July 1948.
Following the war, Betty and George settled in North Hollywood, California, where George set up his medical practice. Betty devoted herself to their family. She and George shared many interests: they loved entertaining, supported the arts and traveled extensively. She was involved in many charitable and civic organizations including the National Charity League, MUSES and the Los Angeles County Medical Auxiliary. They moved to Santa Clara in 1995.
Betty was a faithful member of the church and served in many capacities. She was a teacher in each of the auxiliaries, Relief Society President, and Compassionate Service Leader. Together with her husband, she served a medical mission to Guatemala. They also served as ordinance workers in the Los Angeles Temple.
Betty and George shared 53 happy years together before his death in 1995. They were the parents of three daughters and one son. She is survived by her daughters: Liz Dayton (Lyman), Gigi Doty (Richard Butler), and Tina Walker (Marlan). At the time of her death, Betty stood at the head of five generations of descendants: three daughters, 11 grandchildren, 34.5 great-grandchildren, and 2.5 great-great-grandchildren. She is the center of an even wider circle of relatives, friends, neighbors and acquaintances who love and honor her positive spirit, radiant smile and boundless generosity. Her legacy to her family is one of devotion, hard work, compassion and unselfishness. She richly blessed the lives of all who knew her.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, at 11 a.m. at the Santa Clara Heights Stake Center, 1705 Desert Dawn Drive. A visitation will be held Friday, prior to services, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in the Santa Clara City Cemetery.
Donations may be made to Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (https://www.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221. Please visit our website at www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences, complete obituary and funeral listings.