Betty Kimble & the Story of Betty’s Notes
Betty’s Notes carry more than a message. They carry the spirit of an artist who became part of our Keep In Touch family.
An artist with an adventurous spirit
Betty W. Kimble was born in Richmond, Indiana, in 1924. She delighted friends and family with drawings and handmade cards from an early age. At 13, she won a Wonder Bread contest and took her first airplane ride in an open-cockpit biplane.
Her talents reached beyond art. In her younger years, Betty won numerous shooting and archery competitions and was likened to Annie Oakley. That same energy and determination stayed with her throughout her life.
The beginning of Betty’s Notes
After losing her husband in 1966, Betty began selling her artwork to help support her family. She set up a table in a local Ohio mall and sold her “Thumbkins” for 50 cents apiece. Those small beginnings marked the start of her professional career as an artist.
By 1988, Betty was still busy selling cards and artwork at shows and fairs around Dayton, Ohio. She especially loved volunteering in hospitals, bringing her art to children. Some of that work lives on in her card designs today.
A new adventure on Marco Island
In 2003, at age 79, Betty packed up and moved to Marco Island, Florida. She soon began selling her art at local tent shows.
A few years later, shortly after Keep In Touch opened, Betty appeared at our doorstep and asked whether we would like to sell her greeting cards. We were so taken with them that we readily agreed. Before long, we gave her a table to work at and more shelf space for her many designs. Betty became part of our family.
“A captive audience”
Her table stood beside our postal counter, giving her what she called “a captive audience.” We loved watching her engage with customers, discover what they needed, and help them leave with the perfect personalized card or box of cards.
Betty loved people as much as she loved sharing her art. Many customers became friends. Her warmth, humor, and gift for making a card feel personal are memories we treasure.
Carrying Betty’s legacy forward
Betty continued creating greeting cards and calligraphy until her passing in 2018 at age 94. Today, we are proud to carry on her legacy by faithfully reproducing Betty’s Notes, including the hand-cut edging and gold trim, just as Betty did.
We can also personalize cards in Betty’s calligraphy style through a member of our team whom Betty personally taught. Contact us about personalization, or visit Keep In Touch at 135 S Barfield Dr., Marco Island, FL, 34145.