In September 1931, Betty entered Smith College. But 1931 was also a year of transition for her mother, who moved from Boston to St. Davids, PA, on the Main Line outside Philadelphia. For Mabel, this was a return home. For Betty, her freshman Christmas vacation in 1931 was at a new home, in a new town and with new friends. Betty returned to Smith and, later, was invited to become a member of the Orangemen, a highly selective secret society. She graduated in 1935 with a BA in art history. After her graduation, Betty and her mother began traveling again, this time to the Far East in January 1936.Their travels took them to the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan, then back home through Honolulu and Vancouver, Canada.

 

In July 1939, Betty and her mother got the travel bug to visit Europe again and sailed first-class on the Nieuw Amsterdam in an outside double stateroom. They landed in Rotterdam, having booked return passage on the Nieuw Amsterdam for September 1939. From Rotterdam, Betty and her mother traveled through Belgium on their way to Paris. In their plans was a side trip in mid-August to Normandy, where they stayed at a small seaside resort. While there, Betty came down for breakfast one morning to find only one elderly waiter in the dining room. When asked where the other waiters were, he replied, “All the boys have been called up.” It was August 21, 1939, and the French Army had declared general mobilization.

 

Betty and her mother immediately returned to Paris that day, but quickly realized they could not find a way to leave. Further, the Nieuw Amsterdam was stuck in Rotterdam, unable to set sail. On one of their first nights back in Paris, Betty and her mother went to one of their favorite restaurants. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, an American executive with a large American corporation and his wife who lived in Paris. Upon hearing of their predicament, he referred Betty and her mother to his concierge to help them book passage out of France. It took over a week, but the concierge finally found them accommodations on the SS Manhattan, leaving Le Havre. That night, they took the train to Le Havre. The train was completely darkened, blinds pulled and no headlights. Once on board ship, Betty and her mother found they were assigned to a small lower interior double cabin shared with two women teachers from the Midwest. Everyone agreed, however, that they were delighted with their accommodations. The ship was lit up from top to bottom, stem to stern, with an American flag suspended between the two smoke stacks to let everyone know that SS Manhattan was a neutral ship. It was August 29, 1939, and they sailed after midnight.

 

On the way across the English Channel, the ship shook violently as all engines were put into reverse. The ship was stopped to avoid running into the submarine net that was spread across the entire channel from France to England. Once the net was opened sufficiently, the ship proceeded to Southampton to pick up more passengers. When they got underway for New York, SS Manhattan was 400 passengers over lifeboat capacity. Once at sea, they passed over the exact spot where, just 24 hours before, the SS Athenia had become the first British ship to be sunk by a German U-boat in World War II. It was September 3, 1939, and Great Britain had declared war against Germany.

 

In November 1938, through a mutual friend, Betty had been introduced to Springer Harbaugh Moore Jr. of Ardmore, PA. He turned out to be “the real thing” and they were married on June 7, 1941, at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA. During World War II, when Springer served as an officer in the Navy, Betty traveled with him to various duty stations, including Seattle, WA, while he was on a ship in the Pacific. 

 

After the war, Betty and Springer returned to the Main Line, settling in Haverford and later Wynnewood, PA, as Springer resumed his admiralty law practice in Philadelphia. During these years, Betty, Springer and their two children spent many wonderful summers at both her mother’s summer home at Salter’s Point, and at Arma Island on Lake Joseph in the Muskoka Lakes region of Canada, Springer’s family summer residence. Throughout the years, Betty stayed busy raising her family and using her business skills doing volunteer work with the Junior League, the Church of the Redeemer, the Bryn Mawr Thrift Shop, and The Haverford School.

 

In 1962, Springer retired and they moved to Vero Beach, FL. Betty was first introduced to Vero Beach in 1958 when she was asked by a close friend to help her drive to her winter home there. It was October, and Betty found the weather absolutely divine, unlike October weather in Philadelphia. It was then that she realized she wanted to live in Vero Beach and, with Springer’s total agreement and support, began making plans. She and Springer decided to move in June 1962 after their son, Harb, graduated from The Haverford School. Betty decided that she and Springer would open a bookshop in Vero Beach, and set about learning the retail bookstore business by working at a shop in Ardmore. In addition to learning the book business, Betty took delight in designing and supervising the construction of their future home in Vero Beach.

 

Shortly after the move, Betty opened the Waverley Book Shop. Because she could trace her lineage directly to Sir Walter Scott, who wrote the Waverley novels, it seemed appropriate to name the bookshop after his famous novels. It turned into a thriving business and for several years boasted having the largest selection of books between Miami and Charleston. Betty successfully ran the Waverley Book Shop from 1962 until she and Springer retired in 1977.

 

Betty and Springer developed a large and devoted group of friends in Vero Beach and over the years enjoyed entertaining at home. They were also active members of the Riomar Bay Yacht Club and, later, the Vero Beach Yacht Club. To their delight, it also seemed that Betty and Springer formed the vanguard of a large contingent of their Main Line friends that either moved to Vero Beach or bought winter homes there. Traveling was a continuing passion and favorite pastime for Betty and Springer. Their travels included Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, the Caribbean, and a round-the-world cruise. Betty’s others interests included reading, bridge (with master points), needlepoint, and, in later years, bingo.

 

After a marriage of 51 years, Springer died in December 1992. Betty continued to live in the home she designed and loved until September 2004, when extensive damage from hurricanes Francis and Jean forced her to evacuate and move in with her daughter, Teeja, in Springfield, VA. With sadness, she realized she could not return to Vero Beach and sold her beloved home in February 2005. Later, in March 2005, Betty moved into The Virginian, an independent living apartment, in Fairfax, VA, where she spent many satisfying years as part of the bridge club, enjoying Scrabble and crossword puzzles and visits from family and friends. In June 2012, Betty moved to an assisted living facility in Edgewater, MD, due to her deteriorating health and to be closer to her daughter.

 

Betty is survived by a son, Springer Harbaugh (Harb) Moore III of Hoover, AL; a daughter, Mrs. Daniel Meier (Manan—Patricia “Teeja” Scott Moore) of Huntingtown, MD; four grandchildren, Mrs. Stephen Konig (Elizabeth Harbaugh Moore), Mrs. Kurt Smith (Amanda Springer Moore), Alexander Scott Manan, and Paul Emile Manan; and two great-grandchildren.