Betty Erb

Betty Erb loved her daughters and her grandkids, her farmhouse and the lush woods that surrounded it, and the more than fifty years she spent with the love of her life, her husband Larry. To those who knew her, there are many things to remember: her generosity and kindness, her belief in fighting to protect her rural environment, the motherly concern for her daughters that never diminished, and, perhaps most of all, her smile and her laugh. After a long fight with various illnesses, Betty passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 26, at the age of 77, surrounded by members of her family. She leaves behind her husband, Larry Erb; two daughters, Lisa (Thomas) Harrison of Zionsville and Valerie (Matthew) Tully of Indianapolis; three grandchildren, Megan, Joshua and Reid; a brother, Homer; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Marvin and Joseph. Betty was born in Rensselaer on September 29, 1934, the third of four children to the late Homer and Margaret (Cook) Bramble. She grew up on the family farm, a playful tomboy who loved nothing more than palling around with her three brothers. A stellar student, she graduated at the top of her class as the valedictorian of Rensselaer High School in 1952. After high school, Betty worked briefly for the Sealy company, including for a short stint in the company's Chicago offices, and for nearly a decade after that she worked as an office manager for the Northwest Indiana division of the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service. But it was at the first job she held after graduating, at Wright's Furniture Store in Rensselaer, where she worked as a bookkeeper, that Betty met Larry. The two married in 1961. Larry recalls Betty selecting the date for their wedding and insisting on arranging the many other details. "That was fine with me," he said. "I just wanted to marry her. I thought she was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. Always will." The two settled into an old farmhouse after being married, had their two daughters and then, in 1981, moved into the house that would become Betty's sanctuary. For the family's new home, she'd selected a lot surrounded by trees and near the trickle of Carpenter's Creek. From then on, few things made her happier than enjoying the peaceful woods and the wildlife that surrounded the home. Betty was quiet and reserved by nature but also strong-willed and fiercely protective of her family. Though she was a lifelong resident of Rensselaer she also thought much about the broader world around her and was involved in many civic causes throughout her life. She believed strongly that voting was an American's duty, insisting that her daughters cast ballots as soon as they were eligible to do so, and for many years she volunteered as an Election Day poll worker. In the 1960s, she helped her husband when he served on the board of the National Farmers Organization and later she was involved with environmental groups such as the Hoosier Environmental Council. Betty had many hobbies. She enjoyed reading and pets, and in later years became deeply interested in genealogy. She kept detailed records of her beloved farm, which has been in her family since 1851, and carefully researched her family's history in small-town courthouses in Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia. Over the years, she and Larry took numerous long trips to places such has Utah and Colorado to explore what they called "The Great American West." In the end, though, Betty's favorite hobby was her family and her life was about the roles she most loved: wife, mother and grandmother.

Betty Erb

September 29, 1934 - July 26, 2012