Betty Lewis grew up in Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...

 and attended school there for 12 years then going to Salinas

Salinas, California

Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...

 Jr. College. She started writing historical articles for the Watsonville

Watsonville, California

Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...

 Register Pajaronian in 1974. Her weekly column titled "That Was Watsonville" appeared every Thursday evening in that newspaper. She has also written articles for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Salinas Californian and various other publications. She authored nine historical books of Watsonville and surrounding areas.

Works

• "Holy City Ricker's Roadside Attraction In the Santa Cruz Mountains, A Nostalgic History of William E. Riker". Riker or the "Emancipator" and founder of Holy City, California
  Holy City, California
  Holy City is an unincorporated community in Santa Clara County, California. With only one permanent resident, it is arguably a ghost town. The town is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, off State Route 17 on Old Santa Cruz Highway, at . It is part of the Lexington Hills census-designated place...
  
  . Holy City founded in 1919 as road side attraction for motorist traveling the Old Santa Cruz Highway between San Jose and Santa Cruz offered auto service and philosophy for all those willing to stop.
• "William H. Weeks, Architect"
• Monterey Bay
  Monterey Bay
  Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
  
   Yesterday
• "Watsonville Memories That Linger - vols. I & 2"
• Watsonville : Memories that Linger
• "Victorian
  Victorian architecture
  The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
  
   Homes of Watsonville"
• "Watsonville Images by Edgar L. Clarkk; pioneer Watsonville photographer"

Awards

• SCOPE Award for research and writing 1977 & 1978
• Hubert Wyckoff Memorial Award - 1979
• Woman Of the Year/Watsonville/1987 - 1993
• Mabel Rowe Curtis Award for research and writing
• Santa Cruz Historical Trust Award for book on architect William Weeks
• Rotary Club Paul Harris award - for excellence in contributing to community by way of writing, speaking, preserving history 1996
• Ten research grants from San Jose University

Publications

• 1974 – Victorian Homes of Wat. – revised 1981
• 1974 – Walking & Driving Tour of Wat.
• 1975 – Highlights in the history of WAT. Wat. Fed. Sav.
• 1976 – Wat. Memories That Linger – three printings
• 1977 – Monterey Bay Yesterday – 3 printings
• 1986 – Vignette Wat history on KOMY radio station
• 1978 – Wat. Yesterday – 100 radio programs
• 1980 – Wat. Memories That Linger Vol. II
• 1985 – W.H. Weeks, architect 1989 reprinted
• 1992 – Holy City, Santa Cruz mountains reprinted 1994
• 1995 – Edgar L. Clark photo book PVHA

Grants from Sourissaeu Academy San Jose State University

• 1973 & 1974 - research of Watsonville
• 1976 – Research of William H. Weeks, Architect
• 1977 – Research of Gilroy, California
  Gilroy, California
  Gilroy is the southernmost city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 48,821 at the 2010 census. Gilroy is well-known for its garlic crop and for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, featuring various garlicky foods, including garlic ice cream. Gilroy also produces...
  
  
• 1979, 1982–1985 – newspapers on microfilm
• 1986 & 1987 – research of Carnegie Libraries
• 1988 – Research of Holy City

Awards And Honors

• 1976 & 1877 from Historical Preservation
• 1977 & 1978 – Scope Award for writing
• 1977 – 1st woman to be Grand Marshal of 4 July parade
• 1979 – Research & writing from Friends of Octagon
• 1979 – Hubert Wyckoff Memorial award PVHA
• 1987 – Woman Of the Year – Chamber of Commerce
• 1993 – Mabel Rowe Curtis – research & writing
• 1995 – Research, writing – S.C. Historical Trust
• 1996 – Paul Harris award – Rotary

Watsonville-Register Pajaronian Watsonville Register-Pajaronian– 1974 random articles

• "That Was Watsonville" (every Thursday since then)
• 2005 – City Council of Watsonville named her official city historian
• 2006 – Memorial bench in city plaza

Married Monte Lewis of Watsonville in 1946 and they have four children, seven grandchildren and two identical twin great grandsons.