Betty Jane Van Der Kamp was born Mar. 28, 1929, in Sully, to Harry and Ella De Jong and welcomed by her sister Almetta June. Betty died Monday, Mar. 2, 2026, at the age of 96 years, 11 months, 2 days in Sacramento, CA. Memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Mar. 21, at East Lawn Mortuary & Sierra Hills Memorial Park, 5757 Greenback Lane, Sacramento, CA 95841. In lieu of flowers, Betty requested that any memorial tributes go to Northminster Presbyterian Church Foundation Fund in Sacramento.
Betty grew up in the very small town of Sully, which had a population of 325, where everyone knew each other, and it was a safe and comfortable place to live. She graduated from Sully High School in a class of 10. Her education included attendance at American River College in Sacramento.
In 1946, she was united in marriage to Vernon Van Der Kamp and to this union were born Carl Dean, Craig Allen, and Lynne Louise. They farmed for 14 years in both central and northern Iowa. In 1960, the family made the move to Sacramento, CA. Betty got involved in the health food industry at the downtown Public Market, and she and Vernon continued in that industry when they moved to Summerland, CA, and owned the Montecito Health Center. Additionally, she was very active volunteering with the Soroptimists of Santa Barbara. They retired in 1986 and traveled to Europe, Russia, and the Scandinavian countries.
Betty loved to travel in her airstream trailer and explored the lower United States and all the lower Canadian provinces. Betty also made five trips to Europe going to the Mediterranean and cruises to Alaska and the Panama Canal. She had many fond memories of all the places she visited and all the people she met along the way. In 2003, Betty moved to Sacramento to be near her family and old friends.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Almetta and brother-in-law Ward, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-laws Walter and Irene Vander Leest, Cleo and Maurine Van Der Kamp, Milo and Velma Van Der Kamp, Floyd and Jeanetta Van Der Kamp, Ralph and Ruby Van Wyk, and Harry Lanser, and former husband Vernon Van Der Kamp.
Betty is survived by her children Carl(Patti), Craig(Gayleen), and Lynne; grandchildren Joshua, Micah, Christian, Alissa, Timothy, and Josef; and great-grandchildren Hannah, Adam, Lauren, Kaylie, Noah, River, Kai, Tristan, Camila, and Karma. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Neva Lanser and many nieces and nephews.
The staff at Golden Pond became her friends as well as her caregivers in her last two years. They gave her a quality of life filled with daily visits, laughter, perms, and love.
