Bertha moved to Inglewood, California in 1924 with her two young sons and husband. It was not until her husbands death in 1960, at the age of 61, that she sought solace in painting. 

Primarily self-taught, Bertha Elson's work is "naive," beautiful and mysterious. Her recognizable style is haunting . It is innocent, simple and sincere.

She is survived by her son, Donald Elson of Los Angeles, her sister, Irene Mendez of Wilmington, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.