Betty Jean (Shell) Rodriguez

1930 — 2021

Betty Jean (Shell) Rodriguez passed away Thursday, Oct. 21 2021, at the family home in Rawhide.

Betty was born on Feb. 2, 1930, to Arthur and Marie Shell and was a lifelong resident of the county. She attended Tuttletown Grammar School and Sonora High School, graduating in 1947. Betty met her husband, Raymond “Bumpy” Rodriguez, while she worked at Brandi’s Ice Cream Parlor in downtown Sonora. They were married on March 28, 1948, and raised three children.

Betty was an avid horsewoman and was the first rodeo queen for the county in 1947. After her marriage, she became an excellent golfer, and she and Bumpy thoroughly enjoyed their shared love for the game. Betty was also an accomplished artist known for her use of bright, bold color and subject matter. She will be remembered by many as not afraid to speak her mind and for a heart as big as the moon.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Bumpy, and her mother and father, Arthur and Marie Shell.

She is survived by her two sisters, Aloha (and Norm) Dossa and Lora Shell. She leaves three children, Toni (and Jeff) Juhl, Jim Rodriguez and Ron (and Jodie) Rodriguez. She also leaves grandchildren Jami (and Grant) Hirdes, Jay (and Janelle) Juhl, Jacey (and Jim) Serva, Nicki (and Jared) Holt, and Rori (and J.P.) Wyllie. Betty had 12 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will dearly miss her unsurpassed Christmases, her weekly family meals, her exceptional green thumb, and the love she had for her dream home and the family who surrounded her.

Services will be held privately for the family, and a memorial service will be planned at a later date.