Daughter of Esther and Norman Howard, Elizabeth Rae (Bet) Kettle was born 6/20/1933 and passed in her sleep 9/12/2020. She was wife and partner at San Isabel Ranch to Benjamin W (Doc) Kettle, mother and grandmother to five children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Bet was an avid reader of contemporary novels from authors such as Michener, McMurtry, Ben K. Green, Patrick Taylor, and Edward Rutherford. She appreciated fine antiques and preferred Victorian style antiques and fine china. Bet loved to sing – especially duets with Ben; hers a strong alto to soprano range, Ben’s tenor/bass voice. made beautiful music. She loved Harry Belefonte, The Kingston Trio, Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Bet was an avid gardener and loved flowers. A labor of love, she kept a beautifully manicured yard and brimming full, gorgeous flower beds. The main house was always embellished with extraordinary cut flower arrangements and flowering potted plants. For Bet, Tuesday’s were always “no-cow-work” days at the ranch. She would dress in her “Sunday best” and spend the afternoons in a mean game of bridge with life-long friends like Paulie Canda, Marie Holmburg, the Tanglewood ladies, and more. They shared many a good conversation after the cards were played, of course.
She served for years as the Convention Committee Chairman of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Secretary of the Colorado Hereford Association, member American Hereford Association, Secretary of the Colorado Republican Party, and President of the Custer County School Board. Bet’s tough, straight talk, no excuses philosophy was filled with love for many Custer County Bobcats over the years. Bet enjoyed basketball and football– especially Bobcat Basketball, March Madness, and Jo Montana.
Although having no previous experience in ranching, she quickly adapted to the life caring for hundreds of wet baby calves in her back porch during Spring calving. One of her favorite times spent with Ben was evening calving checks. She loved how the calves played and chased and the love they shared for the life they lived together. She kept all the pedigree and performance data on 40 years of cowherd genetics. She also processed genetic breeding records for the American Hereford Association. Hereford cattle were the mainstay of San Isabel Ranch at the time and together Ben and Bet were recognized nationally for their outstanding genetics and high quality cattle. She enjoyed the seasonal life of the ranch, including calving, weaning and hours in the saddle on good horses moving cattle from one pasture to the next. She was an excellent horsewoman and had an accomplished eye to spot outstanding cattle.
Bet was an accomplished writer and was often asked to pen the history of the Wet Mountain Valley, area churches, and wonderful stories of the ranching and community history. Her joy was writing advertising copy for San Isabel Ranch. Over the years, hundreds of bulls were marketed well with the help of her gifted advertising. The Kettles were portrayed in the National Geographic book The American Mountain People and the Sunday Denver Times, and many beef industry publications. San Isabel Ranch and Ma and Pa Kettle were described and written about often.
Bet loved people in a big way. She had such a good heart and fierce convictions – her legacy of that good heart and feisty spirit shall remain through her children for generations to come.
Services will be held at the Sangre de Cristo Cowboy Church in Westcliffe CO. at 1:30 p.m., September 26, 2020. If donations are wished, they are encouraged to be made to the Custer County Medical Foundation (CCMF)/Ben Kettle Memorial Scholarship; or the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association – Floyd Cross Foundation.
