Betty Venora

Trader

Betty Venora Trader, 81, of Mont Belvieu, Texas, passed away on November 12, 2026. She was born on January 26, 1945, at Heights Hospital in Houston, Texas, to Steve Pavlock and Parry Lee Harmon Pavlock.

Betty grew up in Houston and graduated from Smiley High School in 1963. She and her best friend, Nancy, enjoyed going dancing and drag racing all around the city. On March 1, 1969, Betty married Roger Trader, her husband of 53 years. She worked various jobs until her first child was born in 1978. Betty was a devoted mother. After her children got older, she began working at Woodrow Wilson Jr High, where she worked in the office for more than 15 years.

Betty loved to crochet and she often made beautiful afghans for friends and family. She also sewed, cross stitched and scrapbooked. She loved to read. Some of her favorite books were the Bible, The Nightingale, The Women, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cher’s Memoir. She instilled this love of reading into her daughter and her granddaughters. Betty was also a huge Elvis fan. She loved dogs and had them her whole life. Her last dog, Chaquita, lived to be 17 years old. She loved her four granddogs, Trixie, Bella, Cooper and Mildred, who always climbed in her lap and kissed her face whenever she visited.

Betty was a devout Christian, and ingrained the love of Jesus in her children and grandchildren until her last breath. Her last words to her granddaughters was “Jesus loves everyone and wants us to do the same” shortly before she passed.

Betty is survived by her two children, daughter, Stephanie Gause and husband Jason; son, Lee Trader and wife Jennee; her three granddaughters, who she was beyond proud of, Grace Gause, Faith Gause and Baylee Trader; extended family and many friends.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Steve and Parry Lee Pavlock and her husband Roger Trader.

Visitation will be from 1-3pm on Monday, November 16, 2026 followed by the funeral at 3pm at Pace Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton, Tx. Red was Betty’s favorite color, so guests are encouraged to wear red to her services in her honor. She will be buried with her husband at Houston National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the new Dayton Animal Shelter in her honor.