Elizabeth A. Aldrich

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Elizabeth (Betty) Aldrich passed away on August 4, 2024 at the age of 92. She was born with a heart for travel and adventure on January 5, 1932, one of six children of Augustus and Anna (Ericsson) Kingsbury, who met on a train platform and began their married life near Portland, Oregon, close to the Columbia River where Augustus supervised work on the construction of the Bonneville Dam. Betty had to grow up fast in the midst of the Great Depression because her mother was ill with heart issues and her father passed away in a work accident when she was four, after which the family moved to Oak Grove, OR. Everyone had to help out at home. Nevertheless, she excelled at school and enjoyed time hiking and camping in the Pacific Northwest (God’s country, as she and Dad always called it) as a member of the Pioneer Girls. She also babysat and worked at a candy kitchen in Seaside during the summers in high school. 

Betty met her husband-to-be, Earl Aldrich, at a University of Oregon-Eugene fraternity dance on a blind date set up by her brothers. They were married in June of 1951 and spent their first year of marriage in Mexico. They spent the next 8 years in Texas, Germany, Indiana, and Peru, between service in the air force and graduate school. Although she never graduated from college, she accumulated many credits in geography and Spanish. She and Earl ultimately settled in Madison, WI where he taught Spanish at UW-Madison and she took care of the house, the finances, the calendar, and their three daughters, each born about seven years apart (the family joke being that we came like the locusts). 

Betty loved her husband, Earl, to whom she was married for 61 years, and their strengths complemented each other. They were a true partnership. She also loved travel and even though she loved it more than Dad did, he humored her fascination with penguins by traveling with her to the Falkland Islands and even to Antarctica on a Russian icebreaker. They loved vacations at the Oregon coast where they walked the beaches together. But most of all she loved the Lord. When our Dad retired from the UW, they moved into full time ministry, pastoring a church in Madison and spending three months a year in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Brazil. They ministered abroad in churches with which they had close, longstanding ties from 1987-2008. Betty was a fully equal partner in this ministry and they left behind a legacy of encouragement, love, and miracles in the places in which they ministered.

Now she has embarked on her biggest adventure and we are rejoicing with her. “Only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!” Psalm 23:6 (Passion Translation). Betty is survived by her three daughters, Robin Staley of Madison, Wendy Wilkins of Rochester, Minn., and Jill (Michael) Roberts of Middleton; six grandchildren, Jenni (Aaron) Patterson of Redding, Calif., Caitlin (Cole) Spaulding of Madison and Ethan Staley of Madison, and Alex, Joy and Gideon Wilkins; and lots of extended family. She was preceded in death by her mother and father; two sisters, Fanny and Ruth; three brothers, Bob, Dick and Jack; and a son-in-law, John Wilkins.

Her family wishes to thank the loving staff at Renaissance Senior Living of Hilldale, UW Health Home-based Primary Care, Agrace HospiceCare staff, and all of her spiritual family at Sweet Orchard Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to: Exodus Farms Ministry, 6411 Park Ridge Drive Anderson, CA 96007; Special Olympics Wisconsin; Elijah Streams.

Funeral services will be held at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, on Monday, August 26, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of services at CRESS. A luncheon will be served after the service.