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Born: September 29, 1920
Place of Birth: Thatcher, Arizona
Death: February 20, 2010
Place of Death: Safford, Arizona
Occupation: Homemaker
Organizations: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Orrin, Eternal Companion
Florene, Daughter
Jim (Kathryn), Son
Eleven Grandchildren
Fourteen Great-Grandchildren
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Millie Palmer Chandler, Mother
James Chandler, Father
Tylor Anderson, Great-Granddaughter
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Memorial donations may be made to:
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This memorial provided by:
Vining Funeral Home
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Life Legacy
Beth was born Elizabeth Chandler on the 29th of September, 1920 in Thatcher, Arizona to Millie Palmer and Walter Chandler Ferrin. She was the oldest of three children, her brother Ray and sister Lois later completed their family. Times were tough on everyone but her parents were thrifty and she learned early on many lessons to carry her through her life. When she was small they moved to Superior, Arizona, then Long Beach, California and then to Miami, Arizona where she attended the Miami school until 1931. She loved climbing the hills and picking wild flowers, and especially playing with her brother and sister and their cousins. When their house burned down, her parents moved back to Thatcher where she graduated from Thatcher High School, and then the Gila Academy; now Eastern Arizona College. In school she played tennis, and was on the drill team; then called a drum majorette. She participated in school plays and loved to attend dances which were common at the time.
When World War II began, her father was called to work on Mair Island near San Francisco. Beth found work in a shipping office also on Mair Island. She met many friends and recalled having a lot of fun with “the girls” as she called them. Her life long friend, Florine Birdno Roseberry and her sister Geraldine were also in California for a time. While there Beth’s only brother Ray was killed in the crossing of the Rhine in France. This was a terrible blow to her and the family; she he always felt Ray was her best friend.
Following the war, the family relocated back to Thatcher. She attended a dance in Duncan where she had a great time with Orrin Ferrin, fondly known as “Red”. She remembered when she was younger from her home in Thatcher by the highway, she could hear him singing as he milked the cows. She said he was the best dancer ever, and before long they were dating. They were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple on the 4th of December 1946.
They resided in Pima when they were first married and became great friends with Orrin’s brother Ray and his wife Ramona. They also had a couple of nephews, Ted and Derald Ferrin and later a niece, Gerry Williams, came to live with them for a while. Gerry and Ken Wiggins and their children became especially close to Orrin and Beth, who soon became known as everyone’s favorite aunt and uncle. Beth was always active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in the Primary and Cub Scouts. She always had a strong testimony of the gospel and never wavered in her faith. She loved working with children and she and Orrin adopted and were sealed to two children, Florene and James.
Orrin bought the Dairy Queen in Safford from his father and moved the family to Safford. They later moved back to Thatcher about 1962 where they have continued to reside. Beth was a great homemaker and awesome cook. She would always look forward to family reunions or any get together with friends and family. She was also quite the seamstress, and could sew anything she wanted including: curtains, suits, or dresses for her nieces, her daughter and herself. She had a great passion for genealogy and spent many hours working hard to research and record as much as she could. Many great times were spent with Beth’s sister Lois and her family, either in her home or Lois’ with holidays at their folks, Milli and Walt’s. She also loved picnics, hiking in the mountains, swimming and doing everything with family and friends. Many time her cousins Jerry and Alberta Robinson, Max and Wanda Thatcher, Jay and Florine Roseberry and many more would get together for a meal or campout for a great time.
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