Reinstra-Larcome Family Papers

Betty Rienstra was born August 19, 1923, in Beaumont, Texas, where her father was employed by Pure Oil Company. Betty’s father was later transferred to Newark, Ohio, where she graduated from Newark High School and then completed her degree at Ohio State University. After teaching for one year in Ohio, Betty married Marion J. Rienstra and moved back to Beaumont where Mr. Rienstra had a law practice. Betty taught for three years in Nederland, Texas, before starting her family. As a concerned citizen, she became interested in community affairs and sought ways to improve the quality of life on a local level. Becoming alarmed by the level of pollution generated by refineries, she worked to elect new county officials who promised to more aggressively monitor pollution levels in the area and she served on the Jefferson County Air Pollution Committee for 18 years. This experience in community activism convinced her that she could make a difference. The love of reading that she instilled in her children led her to work on improvement of the library system in Beaumont. Her interest in her children’s education led her to examine educational opportunities offered in the Beaumont area for all children and eventually she gained a seat on the Board of Trustees of South Park Independent School District. She volunteered extensively at Trinity Methodist Church, The American Heart Association, The Cancer Society and the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was active in associations that reflected her varied interests such as the American Association of University Women, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Delta Cappa Gamma, a teacher honor society. Betty died on December 7, 2012, and is buried in Oak Bluff Memorial Park in Port Neches, Texas.

Louise Larcomb was born November 29, 1905. Ties between Louise Larcomb’s family and Betty Rienstra’s family go back many years because Louise’s father was originally from Ohio and was acquainted with members of Betty Rienstra’s family. Louise was raised in a house on Railroad Avenue (also known as the Port Arthur Highway) in Beaumont. Her father worked at Gladys City in the early years of the developing oil industry and he collected relics of the oil boom era. Louise was an only child and never married. She lived her entire life in the house where she was born. Her 1923 class notebook from South Park High School is included in this collection and it is a testament to her dedication to being a conscientious student. After high school, she attended business school and went to work in the law firm where Marion Rienstra was a partner. Louise was an avid baseball fan and often traveled to see World Series games. Her collection of memorabilia from games she attended and from early baseball teams in the Beaumont area are included in this collection. Louise died on March 31, 1994, and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Beaumont, Texas.