It's mentioned 365 times in the Bible that we are not to fear or be afraid. One time for each day. I've been on my own for a long time and I didn't often have anyone to lean on so I leaned on God and he was my strength.

     I was number 12 of 14 children. My mother died when I was 10. I had a sister who was 7 when my mother passed away. I told her I would be her mother and I'm still doing that. My dad passed away five years later when I was 15. He was buried on Christmas Day. And so, I had no where to go. We had nothing. The War was just over and I had three brothers who were in the War. The one that was the third oldest from me told me I could come and stay with him in Jacksonville. I had a cot in the kitchen that we could fold up when it was time to cook.

     I got married and had three children and worked two jobs, one during the day and one posting inventory at night.

   Later when I was on my own, I worked in the office at a factory. Because I did so well they thought I had a college education even though I had not had the opportunity to attend university. I made 75 cents an hour before taxes or 28.45 per week. Even though I had a lot of expenses like paying for a babysitter, every week I would go and make a mortgage payment on some land. That is how I got I got in to buying and investing in real estate.

    Even in the 1950's I really cared about the environment so I would buy trees to plant and grow. The children, LaTrecia, Terry & Rob would carry sacks with little trees to plant and followed me. We used a dibbler to plant the trees. 

     In the 50's I ended up with a truck and trailer and went out looking for business. Pretty soon I had a whole fleet. At the time I started I had only heard of one other woman in the trucking industry. Within a short period after I started  I had a daily service that went throughout Florida. We went as far north as Allentown Pennsylvania. I installed one of the first watts lines for my company which was one of the main reasons for my growth. I could keep in close daily touch with my customers for a flat monthly rate so I could find out what my customers had to sell. Then I could find customers for them and I would do the hauling.

    My son Wayne was born in 1961. In 1963 I married Antoine Betz and he went to sea the very same day we were married. His daughter Janis also became my daughter that day. Our daughter Denise was born in 1964. While Antoine was at sea for 3 months at a time as chief engineer for United States lines, I ran my trucking company and took care of our family.

     In 1964 an article named "She Turned a White Elephant into Gold" about my success in the trucking industry was published and that led to me being invited to be on the popular TV show "To Tell The Truth."

    All through my life I was an inventor. I'd always look for an easier or faster way of doing things. As an example, Painter Poultry who was my bread and butter hauling account, was about to be closed because of bacteria that flowed through ponds and creeks into the St. Johns River causing fish kill. I invented a polyatomic oxygen generator which killed bacteria and viruses in raw sewage and water. Painter Poultry put together a team to build and install the machine which immediately brought the bacteria and virus level down to acceptable levels without chemicals thus saving their company and 400 jobs.

     During that time I was involved as a producer on some film productions. Someone said that we didn't have to build a set for a castle for the film we were making because there was one on Fort George Island although it was pretty much in ruins. We bought and renovated that old historic home nicknamed "the castle" on Fort George Island, moving into it in 1968. It was our family home until 1985. 

     I have to admit I was a bit of a rebel rouser at times and took on City Hall more than once. Once when I was in Europe the Florida Public Service commission under a newly appointed leader "reinterpreted" the law deciding who could and who could not haul which would put independent truckers out of business and favor the big companies. I flew back to the US to take him on. I got a moratorium from the Governor we finally prevailed. In the process we helped Paula Hawkins get elected for the first time. She later became a US Senator.

     Another company I started was Abele Chauffer Leasing Service. We named it that so it would be first in the phone book listings! Our business was renting chauffeurs to companies who were leasing trucks to haul their commodities due to heavy regulation of transportation. It was quickly quite successful with many big accounts as our customers.

    I continued to invest in real estate, buying land, putting in streets and selling those vacant lots. I also had a land development company with my sons that did large projects such as The Greens at Julington Creek, The Tradeport at JIA, Patilla Westside Industrial Park, & golf courses. Over the years I bought a mile on the St. Johns River including Sisters Creek Fish Camp & Pirates Cove, Otter Springs which included 800+ acres, 540 acres on Thomas Creek, & 550 Acres on Pumpkin Hill. I sold much of the Pumpkin Hill property to the City of Jacksonville rather than developers so the city park built on it is called Betz-Tiger Point Preserve after our family. You can read more about the park here:  

    Antoine passed away in 1987 and AJ (Arnold Jackson) and I got married in November 1989. Arnold is an engineer so we had a lot in common. His job took him all over the world. I traveled to South Africa & Australia with him for months at a time. I would often wake up at night in these far away places and paint. I still do.  

     During my life I've always been really active in community service, serving on boards such as the Jacksonville Municipal Code Enforcement Board, The Metropolitan Planning Organization High Speed Rail Task Force, HUD Board of Arbitration, Chamber of Commerce Transportation Task Force, Jacksonville International Airport Redevelopment Board, CPAC, Jacksonville Economic Commission, and Northwest Jax Economic Development Board.

     In 2003 Arnold and I took on the project of redeveloping the Otter Springs Resort & RV Park which consisted of 800+ acres with one mile on the Sewannee River and two Magnitude 2 springs. It also had a landing field, a church, cabins, a recreation building, an olympic-sized indoor pool, a lodge, canteen, picnic building, & 105 pull-through RV sites. We became involved in the community and presented monthly Christian fellowship music festivals. Before we got it the resort had been a sort of "Woodstock" location. We put it back into the hands of the Lord and renewed and renovated the rundown buildings. We established different corporate entities with different purposes: Faith, Hope, Charity, & Providence Ministries.  The Sewannee River Management wanted to purchase the property which came at a good time in our life. They purchased about 600 acres which Gilchrist County manages as For Vets, part of the Camp Valor Project.

     With our new found freedom, Arnold and I began to travel. We took a Cruise to Norway where his ancestors are from. We have traveled throughout the United States and Canada. On these trips I take lots of pictures, from which I take inspiration for my paintings. We also spend our time enjoying our children, grandchildren, & now great-children. And every day I'm still inspired by God's creations and blessed to be able to share that inspiration through my paintings.