Beth Wyman, who served as mayor of Morgan Hill and devoted decades to preserving the city’s history, died Nov. 17 of natural causes. She was 92.
Wyman’s death was reported by members of the Morgan Hill Historical Society, where she had been a longtime volunteer and once served as board president. A memorial service is being planned, with details coming soon.
Born on May 13, 1933, in Kansas, Wyman grew up on a 160-acre wheat farm before her family relocated to San Diego County when she was seven. She earned a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and later a master’s degree in history from San Jose State University, where she would teach for 20 years.
Wyman’s involvement in Morgan Hill politics began not with ambition, but with outrage. In the early 1970s, shortly after she and her husband Don purchased a home on Llagas Road, the city informed residents they would need to connect to city sewers to accommodate a new 17-home development.
“This is the moment that we became active citizens of Morgan Hill,” Wyman wrote in a later account of the period. “Although we hardly knew any of our 40 or so neighbors, we caucused everyone living along Llagas Road and discovered that NOBODY wanted 17 new homes or more cars on our street and that NOBODY wanted to connect to the city sewer.”
The fight awakened a fire in Wyman and led to the formation of Citizens for Orderly Residential Development. In 1977, the group’s tireless efforts resulted in Measure E, a growth control ordinance that would remain in effect for several decades. The following year, Wyman ran for city council, where she would serve until 1983, including a term as mayor in 1982.
Roger Knopf, who knew her through the Historical Society, characterized Wyman as a trailblazer for women in local politics.
“The women that were active during that time—she paved the way for them,” Knopf said. “She was one of the first women on the city council. She was a good leader and a key role model.”
Wyman’s work as a historian and preservationist leaves an enduring mark on Morgan Hill. Her master’s thesis examined local history with particular focus on the city’s namesake, and she expanded that research into a book, “Hiram Morgan Hill: The Man, Not the Mountain.”
Her research took her to Missouri, where Hiram Morgan Hill was born, and to Elko, Nevada, where he spent his later years. She nearly gave up until a local journalist suggested she contact Marjorie Groves Mills, a relative of the Hill family.
“I looked her up in the phone book and went for a visit,” Wyman wrote. “After dinner and lots of talking, she finally dug a photo of him out of her dresser drawer.”
Margo Hinnenkamp, who knew Wyman through the American Association of University Women and the Historical Society, said Wyman had a gift for storytelling.
“She had a really delightful sense of humor,” Hinnenkamp said. “When she shared the stories of going to Missouri to track down information about Morgan Hill himself, her description of being there and the searching that she did—there was a lot of humor in what she told.”
When the historic Hiram Morgan Hill House went up for sale, Wyman joined other Historical Society volunteers to ensure its preservation. The Queen Anne-style home now serves as the Society’s headquarters at Villa Mira Monte.
Wyman later helped establish a foundation to restore the historic Acton House, which was later also moved to Villa Mira Monte and now serves as the Morgan Hill Museum.
In 2023, the Historical Society honored Wyman as a “Steward of History” at its 54th Annual Founders Dinner, recognizing her more than 50 years of contributions to the community.
Beyond politics and history, Wyman was deeply involved in AAUW, joining her first branch in Walnut Creek in 1959. She became a member of the Morgan Hill branch when it was established in 1982. Wyman also started a biweekly writers group members remember as a font of creative collaboration.
“I see her as a mentor and as a woman who was passionate about a lot of things,” Hinnenkamp said. “She really encouraged other people to write their own stories.”
Wyman was a devoted mother and grandmother, at one time driving daily to San Jose to take her grandchildren to and from school.
“Very, very committed grandmother,” Hinnenkamp recalled. “Lovely mother and mother-in-law. A real family person.”
Wyman is survived by her son, Jeff, and grandchildren Mary Wyman, Nikki Sun and Justin Sun. A memorial service is being planned.
