Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Auntie Betty was an amazing woman with so many talents, skills, and interests. She truly was a kind and loving person to her immediate and extended family as well as to the many friends she collected over the years. From the time I was very young, I have gathered a ton of fond memories of my aunt.
When I was a teenager, during our summer break, my brother Elden and I would come down to spend a chunk of time at Auntie Betty’s place. I loved to come and visit and appreciated all the attention that Auntie Betty would give to me. She shared her books with me. She took me to visit her friends and out berry picking. She taught me how to make jam. She introduced me to the Dictionary game. We would laugh and laugh until tears were rolling down our faces, poking fun at the silly definitions people would come up with. It seemed like Auntie Betty won every game. I was always so impressed with how smart she was.
One of my favourite times with Auntie Betty was when she invited me to visit shortly after her sister, my Auntie Arlene, passed away. The task was to go through Auntie Arlene’s clothes. This could have been daunting or difficult but instead Auntie Betty suggested we have an impromptu fashion show. Auntie Betty managed the Catwalk, playing different songs and offering commentary, as I tried on different outfits from every decade. We reminisced, laughed, twirled, & danced. We both needed this lighter activity where we could pause our time of grieving for a bit and giggle instead.
Besides being fun loving, Auntie Betty was virtuous and someone to be emulated....truly a good woman, whom I will sincerely miss.
Thina Ritter (niece)
