Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Kantner, age 97, of Sylvania, passed away Sunday, February 13, 2011, at Sunset Village. She was born on September 4th, to Charles Norton and Alma Roberts Norton, the eighth of eleven children, in the aftermath of the 1913 devastating flood, in Tiffin, Ohio. Betty attended St. Anne's grade school, now St. Martin de Porres, and graduated from Central High School in 1932, with aspirations of becoming a nurse. Marriage and family intervened. However, when her youngest child, Mary Beth was in 8th grade, Betty returned to school and fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse. She then worked at St. Luke's Hospital until retirement. A fond photo memory is that of Betty and Mary Beth studying at the kitchen table. A member of St. Charles Parish for over 60 years, she served on numerous parish posts, including president of the Altar and Rosary Society. She has also been a parishioner at St. John in Point Place and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sylvania. There she took great pride in being the "senior" member of a Christ Renews His Parish community. Though a busy young mother, Betty was an avid card player and met at regular intervals with her sisters and neighborhood friends for Bridge Club. She enjoyed teaching her grandchildren how to play cards during their visits or while babysitting them. Betty also loved to read; it was a difficult loss for her to accept when she no longer could read books-even when highly magnified. Despite her macular degeneration, she played a mean game of Scrabble and Upwards into her nineties. She took pleasure in a family tradition of meals and margaritas as Ventura's, and was open to new experiences whether culinary delights or visiting her son, Howard in Alaska, and later, Hawaii. Betty greatly enjoyed visits from her children and grandchildren as well as traveling to see them. Her niece, Janet Thoele, was a favorite travelling companion. One of her final trips was at age 94 when she flew with a friend (a bit younger) to Annapolis, Maryland, where she visited one of her daughter's and family. Her request to have "When the Saints Go Marching In" sung at her funeral mass, was certainly indicative of her optimism and zest for life; her joy in people-relationships. Our family matriarch will be dearly missed. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Howard (Erna), Patricia (John), Jim (Judith), Bob (Beth) and Mary Beth (Todd); grandchildren: Teresa (Steve) Christopher, Anne Marie (Brent), Thomas, Matthew, Jim (Jeanie), Kole (Van), Seth (Stacey), Darcy, Carmen, Sara (Mike), Melissa (Courtland), Allyson, Chelsea, Sarah Sutton, and Katie Carter; great-grandchildren: Jessica, Suzanne, Kim, Joseph, Andrew, Nathan, Rachel, Daniel, Avery, Arion, Michael, Kasey, Corey, Libby, Tyler, Kai, Claire, China, Jordan, Autum, Annakate, Colin, Madeline Grace, Claire, Kaiden, and Cate; great-great-grandchildren: Abbigail, Alyssa, Samantha Renee, Trevor, and Karmyn. Betty was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Earl Kantner; son: Edward; grandson: Daniel; and siblings: Francois, Camillus, Louis, Rozelle, Alma Mary, Angela, Charlotte, Jim, Kate, and Charles. Visitation will be at the Reeb Funeral Home, 5712 N. Main St., Sylvania, on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, from 5-8 PM. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Sylvania, on Thursday at 10 AM. Interment will be private at Calvary Cemetery. The family wishes to thank the attentive and kind staff of the Findlay Neighborhood, at Sunset Village. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be given to the Central City Ministry of the Diocese of Toledo.