Lehi People
Heritage Day: Betty Lou Atkinson honored for working until age 86
Editor’s Note: The Lehi Historical Society is proud to present the stories of its Lehi Heritage Day 2024 honorees. The story of Betty Lou and Lee Atkinson is the seventh of eight articles featuring this year’s honorees. Each couple will be celebrated at Lehi Heritage Day on Sept. 2, from 2:30-6 p.m., at the Legacy Center at 123 N. Center. For more information on Lehi Heritage Day, see lehihistory.com or call 801-768-1570.
When Betty Lou Wing Atkinson found herself feeling bored at age 71, she applied for a job in the deli at the Macey’s in Pleasant Grove. It was the perfect job for her as she had worked 12 years in the Smith’s deli, which used to be in the same building as today’s American Fork Hobby Lobby.
However, the manager was cautious of her age. She told him she would work for one day, and if she didn’t work circles around the younger people, he didn’t have to hire her.
The agreement was made, and she did not disappoint. She got the job!
“I never did things slow,” said Betty, who is affectionately nicknamed the “White Tornado” by her daughter. “I was always fast. I cleaned with determination. I walked fast. I mowed the lawns fast, never slow. That trait stayed with me all through my jobs.”
Betty worked in the deli for several years before slipping and breaking her knee, but that did not slow her down. After surgery and rehabilitation, the longtime Lehi resident transferred to the front end of the store to become a courtesy clerk.
She loved her job and the countless guests, including many from Lehi, who became lifelong friends. She worked until she was 86.
Betty was born in Mapleton in 1931, the third of nine children to George Robert and Helen Louise Ostler Wing.
“I was always earning money from picking fruit, weeding and doing any farm jobs I could,” said Betty. “I often worked alongside men. I grew up learning to work hard and make the best of what we had. I walked everywhere.”
Their school and market were in Springville. “My mom would have me walk from Mapleton to the store if she needed something,” said Betty. “It was a long walk to and from. If it was a walk late in the evening, I sang to keep from being afraid. I would always sing when I was happy.”
But when Betty was 10, her father, who was a farmer and Mapleton town marshal, passed away from pneumonia. Her mother struggled financially to provide for her brood of nine small children, and they were placed with foster families in Provo. Betty eventually moved to Lehi, where she attended Lehi High School.
While working at Davis Market in Lehi, Betty met Lee Rudy Atkinson, the butcher. He was the son of Guy and Ida Myrtle Rudy Atkinson. The two fell in love and were married in American Fork in July of 1952. They were married 33 years before Lee passed in 1985.
The couple has four children: Judy Evans, Steve “Chip”, Kathy Ann (deceased) and Shane. Today, they have four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, with one on the way.
Betty bowled in a women’s league and served on the PTA and 4H. While working at Macey’s, she created the Betty Boop Award and gifted it to people she knew needed something extra to help them out.
She loved to play the slot machines in Wendover. “When I got a little older, my kids didn’t want me to drive out by myself,” she said. “I got a blow-up male doll and dressed “George” in clothes, including a hat. He rode shotgun, so it looked like I wasn’t by myself! I always looked forward to winning and did pretty good at times.”
After COVID, however, she said things changed, and the casinos were tighter with the winnings. It was no longer as enjoyable as it had been.
Today, at almost 93 years old, Betty spends most of her time watching Westerns and sitting on the front porch waving to people as they go by.
