Friday, February 23, 2024

Betty Mae Barteaux (Stevens) - Richard's Mother

 Barteaux, Betty Mae - from her obituary

Born May 26, 1920 to Hershel and Hazel Stevens in Los Angeles, California, passed away on January 25, 2005, at her home in Palm Springs, California. 


Betty was raised in the West Adams district of Los Angeles and loved to tell stories about how she and her sister, Eileen, worked as box lunch extras at Twentieth Century Fox. Betty graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1938. Shortly after that, according to family legend, she went to the old Santa Monica skating rink near Venice, and spotted a tall, good looking young man across the floor. They skated right at each other, to the middle of the rink. 


Thus began her relationship with her husband of over sixty years, Dean Barteaux. Dean and Betty lived in Santa Monica and then moved to Cheviot Hills as Dean's business, Barco Aviation, prospered. 


Recollections:  Melinda Pillsbury-Foster 

It was in Cheviot Hills that they raised their child, the second they adopted, Richard.  


The first son they adopted, also Richard, was taken back by the birth mother before their adoption was finalized. Betty, herself, explained this to me while she was also trying to instruct me on what a "good wife" should be.  She also shared some of the shocking stories on the traumas she experienced while raising the son they had wanted for so long. 

It was clear that Betty knew Richard was very capable of violence.  

These stories includes multiple instances of violent outbreaks on Richard's part and a complete disinterest in any kind of schoolwork.  Somehow, I was supposed to do something about this, Betty intimated, but since she, his adopted mother and parent, could not, I had not the least idea how to change Richard's behavior.  When I learned his I.Q. was 110 much was explained.  


Richard, born Joseph Aloysius MANGOLD, his born name, being both highly psychopathic and very disinclined to learning anything, lacked the needed internal resources to change anything.  


Otherwise, the content of our conversations involved doing nothing but cooking, ordering the maid around, and paying close attention to one's wardrobe.  I was polite, but astonished.  My family expectations on what subjects should consume my attention assumed a clear understanding of etiquette, settings for the table, depending on by whom, and where you were being entertained.  But from there, they diverged into art, poetry, history, science fiction, and other subjects that did not appear to interest Betty when I tried to introduce these.


Betty was clearly from a family which did not value education, especially for women, highly. 


Betty provided books I was expected to read, and I did. But these were only on matters on which I was already well informed. These included the difference between American, French, English and Russian practices for setting the table.   Clearly, the kind of event to which you were inviting guests was very much on point.  


But these dialogs with Betty were all entirely pedestrian, focusing on minor points.   I was polite, and refrained from complaint.  


My life's overwhelming focus was studying subjects which interested me.  Having begun building my own library by age 4, I had early become addicted to the written word.  By age 7 my own library included science fiction, poetry, especially interesting articles from Scientific American, geology, archeology, some sociology and philosophy.  


If Richard's parents had not taken him to Hawaii almost immediately after he asked me to marry him, and I had not yet realized why he listened patiently while I talked, occasionally nodding in agreement, and was appallingly ignorant on the subjects introduced, the ring he had presented me with would have been returned forthwith. 


So, there I was stuck with him and Betty was showing me, as if this were utterly unknown, how to make deviled eggs and how to mend underwear.  This last really surprised me as there was not the least thrift in their lifestyle.


Evidently, it took many years for Betty to finally, grudgingly, admit to herself that Richard, Senior, my former husband of about 7 months when I escaped him, was incapable of holding a job of any kind and also habitually violent.  


It appears to have been his relationship with his second wife, who better tolerated abuse than did I, who, for a time, gave them hope Richard would grow into someone who was not violent and also capable to rational and productive action.   

As you see from Richard's life-history, this was a hope never to be realized.  Instead, they substituted Richard's second son for taking over the family business.   

Not that it  appears Richard, Junior, actually ran the three businesses. These were later sold so he could focus on his other interests, none of which were at all intellectually taxing.  


Betty Knew What She Wanted


From an obituary in the Los Angeles Times:  

Betty loved travel, clothes and diamonds. She was a member of the Garden Club of West Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Country Club. She exemplified style, elegance, taste and generosity that seems rare today. Betty and Dean retired to their vacation home in Palm Springs in 1990 where they entertained friends and family with cards, swimming and sight seeing. Betty was predeceased by her husband, Dean; her son, Richard; and her sister, Eileen. She is survived by her grandson, Richard Barteaux, Jr., great-grandchildren, Brooke, Kyle and Travis; granddaughter, Angel Rogers, her husband Damon, great-grandchildren, Jason and Sean; and Betty's nephew, Michael Castle. No services are planned.


Published by Los Angeles Times on Jan. 28, 2005.

The FACTS are documented, Angel.

Angel, the second daughter, third child of Richard Lee Barteaux, Senior, left a comment on this site some time ago, likely after Carolyn Anne Barteaux, AKA, Morgan Pillsbury Gell, the daughter born from my marriage to Richard Lee Barteaux, Senior, made contact with her.  

Angel is the second child of Richard Lee Barteaux's second marriage to Beverly Bardi, if they did, indeed, marry.  I have not seen the marriage certificate as of yet. 

Angel's comment was, "This is all lies!!!! Im angel barteaux".  

Melinda responds - It is generally appropriate to capitalize both your first and last names. 

I surmise Angel was attempting to  intimidate me, or something of the kind. That is never going to happen. 

The documents are available, and I will simplify this for Angel by providing the links. 

Barteaux Timeline 

Marriage Certificate  - September 7, 1966 - for Mary Linda (Melinda) Pillsbury and Richard Lee Barteaux

Carolyn Anne Barteaux was born July 5, 1967 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica.

Divorce AgreementApril 20th, 1968 - Settlement Agreement between Melinda Pillsbury Barteaux and Richard Lee Barteaux

Divorce Decree   - June 24th, 1968

I was just relieved to have no contact with Richard or his family again, as Richard's abusive behavior had started soon after his parents rented an apartment at 3666 Cardiff Avenue in West Los Angeles.  

The entire period of the marriage was entirely unnerving.  Watching Richard listen to his headbanging while he wore his Nazi uniform, on his knees,  listening to speeches by Adolph Hitler were both shocking and unnerving - but being battered into senselessness several times had made me anxious to never see him, or hear from or about him, again.  

But it appears that the Barteaux family knew that paying any support or a settlement for the physical damage done to me would be costly.  Also, Betty's attitude included no concern about the injuries I had experienced.  Those injuries still haunt me today. 

Also, and very important, was the fact Richard, learning I was pregnant, told me if the baby was a girl he would have sex with her.  My parents, learning this, and then from our attorney, decided that all steps possible should be taken to ensure Richard had NO CONTACT with the child.  

My parents, shocked, disgusted, and revolted by the lack of simple decency displayed by Betty and Dean had also decided they wanted nothing to do with them or their son. 

So, that is my part of the story.  

But the ugly behavior on the part of your father, Richard Lee Barteaux, Senior, continued.

1982
      September 29 - Law Suit against RLB, Senior, by the State of California, Substitution.   Dunne, Phelps, Mills, Smith & Jackson is handing the case over to Comstock & Comstock Case No. BKG 6526 926
      

December 9 - Married:  Richard Lee Barteaux to Belinda M. Betzing in Las Vegas.  Marriage Certificate   Belinda received a hefty settlement from the Barteaux's she told me. She was also routinely battered.

1992
     January 6, Letter to Dean Joseph Kertes from Janet Eddy, Ph. D., regarding the learning disabilities of Richard Lee Barteaux, Junior.  Letter

 1993
      May 8th, Died:  Richard Lee Barteaux, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Death Certificate

 

And that is the truth.  Learn to live with it, Angel. 


Initial Response to Angel Barteaux

 

Angel, the second daughter, third child of Richard Lee Barteaux, Senior, left a comment on this site some time ago, likely after Carolyn Anne Barteaux, the daughter born from my marriage to Richard Lee Barteaux, Senior, from Richard's second marriage.  

Angel's comment was, "This is all lies!!!! Im angel barteaux".

I suppose I was intended to feel intimidated, or something of the kind. Not a bit.  

The documents are available, and I will simplify this for Angel by providing the links. 

Barteaux Timeline 

Marriage Certificate  - September 7, 1966 - for Mary Linda (Melinda) Pillsbury and Richard Lee Barteaux

Carolyn Anne Barteaux was born July 5, 1967 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica.

Divorce AgreementApril 20th, 1968 - Settlement Agreement between Melinda Pillsbury Barteaux and Richard Lee Barteaux

Divorce Decree   - June 24th, 1968

I was just relieved to have no contact with Richard or his family again, as Richard's abusive behavior, which had begun when he insisted I elope with him, continued after we returned from Starkville, Mississippi, where we had married.  After a short stay with his parents, the Barteauxs rented us an apartment at 3666 Cardiff, Los Angeles.  

It had been entirely unnerving to watch and listen to his headbanging while he wore his Nazi uniform and listened to speeches by Adolph Hitler - but being battered into senselessness several times had made me anxious to never see him or hear from or about him again.  

But it appears that the Barteauxs knew that paying any support or a settlement for the physical damage done to me would be costly.  Those injuries still haunt me today. 

Also, and very important, was the fact Richard, learning I was pregnant, told me if the baby was a girl he would have sex with her.  My parents, learning this, and then from our attorney that I would not be able to stop Richard from obtaining unsupervised visitation, I decided that all steps possible should be taken to ensure Richard have NO CONTACT with the child.  

My parents, shocked, disgusted, and revolted by the lack of simple decency displayed by Betty and Dean had also decided they wanted nothing to do with them or their son. 

So, that is my part of the story.  

But the ugly behavior on the part of your father, Richard Lee Barteaux, Senior, continued.

1982
      September 29 - Law Suit against RLB, Senior, by the State of California, Substitution.   Dunne, Phelps, Mills, Smith & Jackson is handing the case over to Comstock & Comstock Case No. BKG 6526 926
      

December 9 - Married:  Richard Lee Barteaux to Belinda M. Betzing in Las Vegas.  Marriage Certificate   Belinda received a hefty settlement from the Barteauxs she told me. She was also routinely battered.

1992
     January 6, Letter to Dean Joseph Kertes from Janet Eddy, Ph. D.,   regarding the learning disabilities of Richard Lee Barteaux, Junior.  Letter

 1993
      May 8th, Died:  Richard Lee Barteaux, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Death Certificate

 

And that is the truth.  Learn to live with it, Angel.