Betty Anne (Aidem) Duncan

Celebrating Life

Elizabeth “Betty” Anne Aidem Duncan, age 92, passed away on January 11, 2024, in Baker City, Oregon. Betty, as she was always known, was born on January 21, 1931, to Milton Aidem and Mabel (Rossman) Aidem in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Betty had three much older brothers:  Robert, John, and William Louis (Lou). She was the “baby” of the family and the only daughter. Her brothers were scattered hither and yon during and following World War II, with Robert and Lou eventually making their homes in southern California. Betty and her widowed mother moved from Minnesota to the Los Angeles area when Betty was 13 to be closer to them.

As a result of the move to California, Betty met her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Floyd E. Duncan. They married in 1948 and were blessed with two daughters: Nancy Jo was born in 1952, and Linda Dee arrived in 1953. Betty and Floyd made their home in El Monte, California, until 1959.   At that time, they moved to Ladoga, California, where Floyd worked on a remote northern California ranch until they purchased “the old Satterberg place” on Pocahontas Road in Baker, Oregon, in 1960. They lived there until 1967 when they sold this ranch to purchase “the old Ebell place.”

As a couple with two young daughters, they dug into their new Baker community. Unusual for a rancher’s wife at the time, Betty worked in town, first for a short stint at Neuberger & Heilner and then in the business office at the Basche-Sage Hardware Company for many years. In fact, Floyd also worked outside of the ranch for a while to help make ends meet. Betty worked during the day; Floyd the graveyard shift at the Chevron Service Station and ranched during the day. There wasn’t much time for sleep. Starting their new ranching livelihood with 50 first-calf Angus heifers, more than well-used equipment from Floyd’s grandfather’s California dairy farm, and little to no extra capital, those first years were a challenge. So goes the ranching business.

Meanwhile, daughters Nancy and Linda were experiencing storybook childhoods helping with ranch work but also simply off riding their horses and enjoying the freedom to explore every corner of the spread and beyond. Since “getting out of Los Angeles” was a prime reason for making the move ultimately to Baker, knowing they had provided such a childhood for their offspring was especially gratifying to both Betty and Floyd.

The Duncans worked hard but played, too. They had a lot of fun, especially early on with the Crazy Eights square dancing club; many friends from those days endured over their lifetimes. They enjoyed the fun and camaraderie of the ‘Me N You’ dance club activities at the Elks Lodge and were always up for a good time with friends and family. They snowmobiled and took up alpine skiing in their 60s and later hit the cross-country trails. They also developed wonderful friendships and had a ton of fun with members of their car club.

Over the years, Betty also worked at Builders’ Supply, the Baker County Visitor Bureau, and the Trail Tenders Shop at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. She was active in the Presbyterian Church for many years, as well as Credit Women and Soroptimists. Betty loved Baker County and was a self-appointed ambassador-at-large, touting the community wherever she went.

In retirement years, Betty was always at Floyd’s side at car shows aplenty around the Northwest as many Bakerites, particularly, will remember the famous Duncan 1950 Dodge truck.

Truthfully, more than anything, Betty was devoted to Floyd as his partner in life. After Floyd’s death, Betty moved into town from the home they had built on Duncan Lane (now the “old Duncan place”), just off Pocahontas Road, and remained in Baker City until moving to a Salem, Oregon senior living community in 2020. She returned to Baker City in 2023.

Betty is survived by her daughters, Nancy Duncan Berdahl and Linda (Duncan) Wooters; son-in-law, Michael Wooters; five grandsons: Travis Jones, Trevor Jones (Alynn), Trenton Jones (Carrie), Brandon Wooters (Tara), and Tyson Wooters; and eight great-grandchildren: Athena Wooters, Keath Jones, Kaden Jones, Alexander Jones, Elizabeth Jones, Elliyah Jones, Amelia Jones, and Kyrick Jones. Betty was known as “Cutie Pie” to all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, so dubbed by Floyd, as when the first grandchild was born, Floyd’s mother was already “Grandma Duncan.” The unique grandma nickname stuck; the family always referred to Betty as Cutie Pie and well knew the signature, “CP.”

Betty was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Floyd Earl Duncan, in 2012; her son-in-law, Alfred James Berdahl, in 2018; her parents and her three older brothers. Private inurnment will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery next to Floyd – just where Betty always wanted to be.

Memorial contributions honoring Betty may be made to the Baker County YMCA or charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Avenue, Baker City, OR 97814.

Obituary courtesy of Grays West & Co. Pioneer Chapel.

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