Betty Keeney, founding member of San Fernando Friends Meeting, was active in Quaker community and intentional living during World War II.

Betty Jackson, born on September 11, 1917, in San Francisco, lived a life deeply rooted in community, art, and spiritual values. She attended Mission High School, where she joined a rowing crew on San Francisco Bay, and later pursued a career as a bookkeeper after graduating from Pacific Audit Business College in 1935. During this time, she also became a vocal music student, church soloist, and participant in vocal ensembles. Her passion for music led her to audition for and be accepted into the San Francisco Opera chorus.

Betty met Chester “Chet” “Doc” Keeney, a young man with a rich tenor voice, and together they embraced a life of shared music, family, travel, and a spiritual philosophy aligned with the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. They were founding members of San Fernando Friends Meeting in San Fernando and part of a small intentional community known as the San Fernando Group during World War II. The couple raised five children—Sara, Wilma, Annamay, Katherine, and George—and were pioneers in the home birthing midwifery movement, delivering two of their children at home.

Betty and Chet also championed holistic health, feeding their family a vegetarian diet rich in whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. In 1957, the family moved to Crystal Lake, Illinois, where Betty became a dedicated mother and seamstress, crafting most of her children’s clothing, including tailored suits and coats. She was a strong advocate for women’s rights and minority equality, serving as an active member of the League of Women Voters for 18 years and leading the creation of a new league in Crystal Lake.

As her children grew and left home, Betty returned to school, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Northern Illinois State University in 1978. Her artistic talents extended to knitting, crocheting, spinning, sewing, embroidery, hooking rugs, and quilting. She also enjoyed photography and sculpture. Alongside Chet, she designed and built two homes and was a founding member of the McHenry County Friends Meeting. Betty and Chet traveled extensively, visiting Spain, France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Italy, Cuba, and the USSR, fostering a deep appreciation for global cultures and art.

When Chet retired, the couple moved back to California, first to Petaluma, and then in 1991 to Santa Rosa, where they settled at Friends House. Betty became an active member of the Friends House community, living there for 17 years. There, she continued to engage in artistic and communal activities, including acting and singing, reflecting her lifelong commitment to creativity, service, and spiritual values.

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