Elizabeth Groot Obituary

Elizabeth (Betty) De Groot was called home by her Lord and Savior on Thursday, May 4. Though we know she is at peace, with no pain, we all loved her so much and will miss seeing her drive her golf cart around the farm with her dog running beside. Tony and Betty are the loving parents of: Ingrid and John Hamar; Elizabeth and Don Veenendaal; Tony and Rochelle De Groot; William and Allyson De Groot; Tamara and Jason Locatelli; and Willy Arts. They have 32 grandchildren (including spouses) and 36 great-grandchildren. She is survived by her brother Gerrit Bothof and sister Alice Schuringa, as well as lots of nieces and nephews. Betty is preceded in death by her dearly beloved husband, Tony; great grandchildren, Kase De Groot and Evelyn Schauer; siblings, Gerda, Case, John, Tony, Gerard, and Wilbur; and parents, Anthony and Alice Bothof. She was born February 5, 193, in Ede-Bennekom, The Netherlands. Growing up, Betty's family had a bakery. Looking for new opportunities, all but one daughter immigrated to the United States in December of 1955 and settled in Hollandale, Minnesota. Betty's fiance, Tony De Groot, came to America nine months later and married Betty on May 15, 1957. They moved to southern California in 1959. Tony would bring home calves and colostrum from the dairies he was milking at and Betty would raise them. Together they made a great team with a goal to succeed. Betty's dream of working at home with her family was coming true, and she was the driving factor in building a successful dairy farm operation in Hanford, CA. Years later Tony wanted to go to Holland to visit family and Betty, being a homebody, did not want to go. Tony convinced Betty that they would go to look at horses and that got Betty right on the plane! Tony and Betty purchased 2 stallions and 4 broodmares on that trip, which was the start of DG Bar Ranch - Betty's dream and passion. Tony and Betty--along with Willy Arts and the family--worked together to produce one of the top breeding farms in the nation. Betty loved God. Together with her husband, they were faithful to the church. In 1965, they were founding members of Visalia Christian Reformed Church. They enjoyed hosting Bible studies and having people over often. Her quiet way of serving others was a great example of her faith to her family. They taught their kids the value of hard work, which is seen in all their children and grandchildren. When thinking about Betty, there is one thing that stands out in her life and that is her love for horses. She had been passionate about horses since she was a little girl in Holland. She was eager to ride every day and enjoyed every aspect of caring for them. Even through one knee and two hip replacements, she never quit riding. Just a month ago she had come by the barn to give her horse some cookies and said, "I think I can ride tomorrow. "Betty lived a full life of love and devotion to her faith and family. She is greatly missed but we also celebrate her new eternal life in Heaven. A Celebration of Life service for Betty is planned for Friday, May 12 at 11:00am at Visalia Christian Reformed Church 1030 S Linwood St, Visalia, CA 93277Donations in Lieu of Flowers can be made to any of the following:Please indicate Elizabeth (Betty) DeGroot Memorial on the Payment Details PageCVC Endowment Foundation 5600 W. Tulare Avenue, Visalia, CA 93277 Hanford Christian School Endowment Fund11948 Flint Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230 Rehoboth Christian SchoolPO Box 41, Rehoboth, NM 87322Gifts given to Rehoboth in Betty's memory will be applied to our tuition assistance fund for next school year. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Elizabeth De Groot, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.