Gladys Elizabeth Lalla

Betty Harrison Lalla

passed away in her Exeter home August 18, 2025 at the age of 85. 

She was born in Salisbury North Carolina 12/12/1939 to Gladys and Woody Harrison. In 1944 they moved to Exeter, CA. She went to Exeter schools from 1st through 12th grade, graduating from EUHS in 1958. She worked with her parents at the Harrison Furniture Store in Exeter, she also worked as a pathologist’s assistant, and a switchboard operator for AAA in Hollywood. Moving back to Exeter in 1968, she worked for California Pretzel until her retirement in 1989. 

She loved to travel, going to Europe 3 times in the 1960’s and 1970’s and traveling through most of the USA through the years. She loved sports and watched baseball, football and hockey, going to many pro baseball and hockey games. 

She enjoyed music of the 60’s and 70’s attending many concerts of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, and The Young Rascals, just to name a few. She usually managed to get autographs and had a large collection of autographs from various band members and many movie stars & celebrities of the era. 

She was very active right to the end of her life. Her wonderful caregiver Julie Shaw picked her up 3 days a week and they had so much fun running errands, shopping, visiting friends and best of all out to lunch at restaurants all over Visalia and Exeter. Betty never met a stranger. She struck up a conversation with everyone they encountered. And usually left them laughing. 

She loved God and loved people.  She posted scripture, encouraging words, beautiful nature scenes,  cute animals and good clean funnies every day for over a 1000 Facebook friends right up to the day the Lord called her home. 

She is survived by her son, James Harrison of Kingman, Arizona and her sister Donna Grant and brother-in-law Darryl Grant of San Felipe, Baja, Mex., her nephews Ben Horst, of Andover Kansas and Josh Horst of Fairbanks Alaska. 

She will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. 

Services will be held at Smith Family Chapel in Exeter, California at 10:00 am on September 8, 2025

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