Betty Lou (Fliegel) Estano

Obituary

Class of 1940

Apr. 9, 1923 – Dec. 17,  2020

Betty Lou (Fliegel) Estano, 97, of Ontario, Oregon, passed away, Thursday, December 17, 2020 at Sheldon Park Assisted Living in Eugene, Oregon.

Betty Lou was born April 9,1923, in Weiser, ID to Earl W. and Hallie Bacon Fliegel. She was always proud that she had grown up on a farm. She loved milking cows and tending to the other animals and leaving the inside chores to her sister. She graduated from Weiser High School and started working for the Washington County financial department with many jobs including human resources, treasury, and bookkeeping which would be central to the future family business. If the day’s receipts were ever off a penny she’d find it!

She met the love of her life during WWII and traveled by train to San Diego to get married on February 9, 1944. They headed to Pensacola, FL living the military life until John was discharged in 1946. They returned to Oregon and worked for a local photographer and shortly after opened their own photography business specializing as the local baby and family photographer. They moved from a door to door business developing film in a little shed on their property and eventually creating their own storefront at 230 S. Oregon Street in Ontario. They were a full-service photo developing business, picking up and delivering film throughout Snake River Valley. Their business was one of the first to promise cutting edge “one day” photo finishing. They sold records, TV’s, greeting cards and more. You could hear the Top 100 Billboard singles playing outside as you window shopped the busy street. She loved all the friends they made during their Ontario life which made for a happy sad moment when they sold their business and retired April 17, 2004.

Betty Lou volunteered as a candy striper at Holy Rosary Hospital, spouse of a Lion’s Club member, helping with events, as this was before women could join the club. She was active in the Chamber of Commerce and loved being a member of the Bethany Presbyterian Church for many years. She was so proud when they were honored by being chosen as the Grand Marshalls for the winter parade one year.

Betty Lou was preceded in death by her husband of 75 years, John Leo Estano in 2019 and her parents and sister Twila Hutchison. She is survived by her daughter DeAnn Estano Cherbas and her husband Dean A. Cherbas of Veneta, Or; her son Robert Craig Estano and his wife Xuexian Li of Herriman, UT; five grandchildren Alyssa Cherbas Ricken and her husband Joe Ricken, Angela Cherbas and her husband Elliott Wood, Emery Estano and her fiancé Nate Stumph, Blake Estano and his wife Jessica Estano, and Xin Zhao; five great-grandchildren Alexis Wood, Andy Wood, Jonah Ricken, Lucille Ricken, and Harper Stumph; her niece Twila Hutchison Rasmussen of Puyallup, WA and her cousin Marvin Caviness of Payette, ID.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Sheldon Park Assisted Living and Cascade Health & Hospice Care for their loving support during her final days.

A celebration of life will be held later spring 2021 in Ontario, OR.

From Lois Hill Titus