Elizabeth "Betty" Anne Grittner

Mrs. Elizabeth "Betty" Anne (Lewis) Grittner, 80, of Norton, Vermont, passed away on Monday, March 13, 2007, at the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, New Hampshire. Mrs. Grittner was a steadfast cancer survivor, who ultimately succumbed to a sudden heart condition. Mrs. Grittner was born Elizabeth Anne Lewis on April 23, 1926, in Baltimore, Maryland, to William Lewis, a Methodist Minister from Wales (Cymru), and Mabel (North) Lewis. Mrs. Grittner completed high school in Baltimore, and then attended Western Maryland College in Westminster. Soon thereafter, she met Stanley E. Grittner, and married in April 1957 in Glendon, Maryland. Betty and Stan Grittner traveled far and often, due to Stan’s service to the United States Government and Military, and lived in Washington, D.C., then Paris, France for 12 years. After Stan’s first ‘retirement’, they moved to Morrisville, Vermont, then briefly to Pinehurst, North Carolina, and finally settled in Norton, Vermont. Betty was an accomplished cook and baker, who loved to archive and distribute her favorite recipes to friends and family. She enjoyed listening to classical music, or anything on Vermont Public Radio, in the company of her husband, and cared greatly for her cats, plants and outdoor wildlife. Betty was also a strong advocate of education, stewardship of the environment, and the civil rights of her fellow citizens. Mrs. Grittner is survived by her loving husband, Stanley E. Grittner; sister Jane Lewis Fox of Towson, Maryland; many dear friends in Norton, Vermont and beyond; and numerous admiring nephews, nieces, and extended family from Washington State to Wales, United Kingdom. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mabel Lewis, brother William Wathen Lewis, and sister Mabel Lewis Pizarro. A memorial gathering will be held from 1-3 pm, Saturday March 17, 2007, at the Grittner residence in Norton, Vermont, to which all are welcome. Please contact the Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home in Colebrook, NH, for more information. In accordance with her wishes, she will be buried in dual ceremonies at Western Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland and Kettle Falls Cemetery in Kettle Falls, Washington (dates TBA). Given her vitality and strength of character, it seems only fitting that she take charge of resting places on two sides of the continent. Mrs. Grittner was famously strong of spirit and constitution, and strove for an independent lifestyle - in the home she loved - right to the very last. Her family is grateful to the staff at Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, and especially to her friends and neighbors, who gave her so much assistance and encouragement in her last years. Donations in honor of Mrs. Betty Grittner may be made to the Norton-Averill Scholarship Fund, Norton School District, PO Box 269, Norton, VT 05907, or, in support of elderly patients to the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, c/o Kim Daley, 181 Corliss Lane, Colebrook, NH 03576.

Elizabeth "Betty" Anne Grittner

April 23, 1926 - March 13, 2007