Betty Jo Carstensen

For those of us who knew her, Betty Betts Carstensen was an angel on earth, and she has now taken her rightful place in heaven. Betty Jo Carstensen, 85, of Curtice, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, September 5, 2009. She was born on August 7, 1924, in Grant County, Oregon, to Roy and Lena Stiers Graves, and was raised on a homestead ranch near Long Creek, Oregon, with five sisters and one younger brother. She married William Bill Carstensen on June 22, 1950, in Pendleton, Oregon; he preceded her in death in 1992. Bill and Betts operated a family farm in Jerusalem Township, raising tomatoes, soybeans, hay and a large number of children. She was a long-time member of St. Lukes Lutheran Church in Curtice, Ohio; a great joy and spiritual lift was to provide communion to shut-in members of the congregation. Betty also loved to attend the theater with friends and family members. Education was a passion in Bettys life. She started in the one room Round Basin School, a four mile walk from the ranch. She graduated from Long Creek High School in 1940, and with the encouragement from an academic scholarship and a thirst for knowledge, she crossed the Cascades to attend Oregon State University, from which she graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She then chose to attend Michigan State University, and she was working on her Masters Degree in Nutrition when she met Bill on Easter Break of 1950. She was a school board member for the Oregon City Schools, from 1993 until the present time. Betty was a tutor to many students and thoroughly enjoyed reading daily to the children at the elementary schools in the district. Betty also had a passion for conservation. She was known variously as the Apple Lady or the Tree Lady for the presentations she made in the schools during Earth Week. She made sure that every child in the school district had a tree to plant in the spring. Her husband, Bill, was a founding chairman of the Lucas County Soil and Water Conservation District, and upon his passing, Betty was elected to a board seat for the District. Surviving Betty are her daughter, Patricia J. Ed Harrison Carstensen, Ph.D. of Durham, N.C.; sons, William J. George Stefanie Grimmiger, fiance, of Curtice, Ohio; Richard H. Linda, DVM, of Martin, Ohio; Charles P. Susan, of Vinings, Georgia; and Robert L. Teresa, of Columbus Ohio; grandchildren, Jessica, Elise, Joe, Libby, and Janina Grimmiger; sister, June Laurel Cox, of Pendleton, Oregon; sister-in-laws, Ann Laskey and Jean Friend, and many nieces and nephews. As a special tribute to Betty, take some time every day to put a smile on someone elses face; take some time every week to read a book to a child; take some time every year to plant a tree and a garden full of flowers; and always, always treat everyone you meet with utmost respect. Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, September 9, 2009, in the Robinson-Walker Funeral Home & Crematory, 501 West St., Genoa, OH 43430. The funeral service will be conducted 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 10, 2009, in St. Lukes Lutheran Church, Curtice, with an hour of visitation prior to the service. Interment will take place at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorials for Betty may be given to the Betty Jo Carstensen Scholarship Foundation. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com.