Elizabeth Drake

Elizabeth BettyDrake, 93, formerly of Minneapolis, died Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Home in Pine River, MN. She was born November 19, 1914 in Minneapolis, the second of three children. She was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin Sr. and Martha Drake; her brother, Benjamin Drake, Jr; and her sister, Martha Belle Drake. Betty never married. She is survived by her nephews Ben and Neal Drake and their families.
Betty graduated fro Macalester College in 1936 and from 1936 to 1942 worked for the Minnesota State Department of Education. In 1943, she joined the Womens Army Corps (WAC) and served during WWII in Military Intelligence at the Pentagon. She left the WAC with the rank of Master Sergeant.

After the war, she attended law school at night and worked as her fathers legal secretary during the day. In 1949 she graduated with honors from William Mitchell School of Law. She then practiced law with her father and brother in the family law firm, Drake and Drake. Betty retired as an attorney in 1979 after a respected career in real estate and estate planning law.

Betty enjoyed many aspects of her retirement: her yard and flowers in southwest Minneapolis, the birds that came to her feeders and her many friends and neighbors. Betty spent much of her free time helping others. She was on the Courage Center Board of Trustees for 16 years and volunteered in the Grandparents Program at Armatage Elementary School.

In 2003, Betty moved to the Brainerd area when she could no longer care for herself.

The family wishes that memorials for Betty be sent to Courage Center, 3915 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN 55422. Please direct the memorials to the Benjamin Drake Endowment Fund.

A remembrance and celebration of Bettys life will be held in December. A notice of the time and place of the remembrance and celebration will be printed in Star Tribune.