Owner of Betty's Toy Box dies

The unique place where kids - big and small - can still get model airplanes, Matchbox cars and wooden trains that you can't find anywhere else has lost its namesake.

Betty Lewis, owner of Betty's Toy Box and Hobbies on East Main Street in Grass Valley, died Wednesday. She was 64.

Her husband of nearly 37 years, Ray Lewis, said Thursday it was his "fault" they opened the Toy Box.

They had leased the property that now includes Ray's Automotive so he could open his own mechanic's shop shortly after they married. They had rented out the other building, but the renters didn't work out, Lewis said.

They talked about it one day about 15 years ago, and he mentioned he liked airplanes and toys, so they decided to open a toy store, Lewis recalled.

They "created a monster," Lewis joked somberly about the store's success.

A visit to the store is like a trip to a magical attic: Trains on tracks, airplanes hanging from the ceiling, dolls sitting everywhere, jack-in-the-boxes, horse figurines, boxes of things piled high.

For big kids, it recalls toy fantasies from one's childhood or a 1960s hobby shop.

The couple has 10 children between them, but lost two, Lewis said.

Mrs. Lewis was passionate about camping, riding motorcycles and quilting, her husband recalled. He also remembered her as "strong-willed and independent."

She also enjoyed working in the automotive shop. "She did tune-ups and things for me," Lewis said.

Mrs. Lewis became so proficient in the trade that she taught a class especially designed for women "to learn what's under the hood of their cars ... so they don't have to rely on a" man, Lewis said.