Betty L. Wojtowicz

Age 86 of Scandia June 18, 1927-April 26, 2014 Passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family. Preceded in death by loving husband; Leonard, brothers; Roy and Herman Buetow, and numerous in-laws. Survived by sister; Marian Bonin, brother; Paul Buetow, and numerous in-laws. Children; Nick (Wendy), Leonard (Sally), Lon (Patricia), Claudine (Mark) Goodrich, Guy (Jody), and Sarah (Joseph) Bazey. Grandchildren; Adam (Jackie), Dana (Brenna), Tara (Michael) Duffy, Allison (Jeremy) Hursh, Andrea (Nick) Acker, Christine (John-deceased) Forsblade, Melinda Goodrich, Jesse Goodrich, Evan, Andrew, Zachary, and fourteen great-grandchildren. Family was the most important thing to Betty. She was greatly loved by many and will be deeply missed. Please keep Betty and her family in your prayers. Visitation 5-8 PM Tuesday, April 29th at Roberts Family Funeral Home, 555 Centennial Drive SW, Forest Lake. Funeral service 11AM Wednesday, April 30th at Elim Lutheran Church, 20971 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, with visitation one hour prior. Interment at Elim Cemetery. Memorials preferred to Elim Lutheran, the Leonard Wojtowicz Memorial Scholarship, and The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. Betty Lou Buetow was born on June 18, 1927 to Herman and Sarah Buetow. She grew up on the east side of St. Paul in a comfortable home on Cook Street with three brothers. . . Roy, Herman, Paul; and one sister, Marian. As a young girl, Betty adored her family and would occupy her time by helping her mother with many duties. She worked at the Orpheum Theatre as a teenager and at 3M before settling down and starting a family. Leonard served in World War II from 1942 to 1947 as a communications specialist, so marriage had to wait because the countrys needs came first. She enjoyed outings with family and friends while she waited for her love interest, Leonard, to return. On October 2, 1948, she married the love of her life, Leonard Wojtowicz. In 1949, their first son, Nick, was born, and soon after, Leonard served his country again in the Korean War until 1954. After the service, Leonard and Betty built a home on the east side of St. Paul where they added three more sons, Len, Lon, and Guy, as well as a daughter, Claudine. Leonard went to work as a plasterer, while Betty focused on her lifes work--her family. In 1964, the Wojtowicz family moved to the small community in Scandia. Sarah, their final child, was born. Raising six children in a tiny trailer home while building a new home was a challenge, but with a true mother spirit, Betty faced the situation with strength and passion by creating a home full of love and unleashing her creative energy. She painted murals on the walls, she planted flowers and vegetables, she taught Sunday School, she worked on crafts, and most of all, she spent time with her children shuttling them from home to school, church, community and athletic events constantly. She also spent many hours enjoying animals, domestic and wild--dogs, cats, ducks, hummingbirds, deer, purple martins and more. She enjoyed the outdoors, especially hiking in the woods or enjoying flowers. When the six children were through college and starting families of their own, Leonard and Betty moved to a home in White Bear Lake, and owned a second home in Sun City, Arizona. Leonard and Betty always said that they had twelve children, not just six, because they were so proud of the spouses their children had chosen--Wendy, Sally, Pat, Mark, Jody, and Joe. Bettys greatest joy in life was her family. Her children completed her; thus, as they left to build families of their own, Betty felt the need to occupy her time with another interest that she and Leonard shared--traveling to incredible places like most of the United States, Israel, Canada, France, Mexico, and many more places around the world often taking family and friends with them. Betty deeply missed Leonard after he died in 1995. She lived with her daughter Claudine and her family. She then lived with Sarah and Joe. St Andrews was her home for four years until February of 2013 when she joined the Parmly system because of several strokes which brought on vascular dementia. Betty is now where she wanted to be--reunited with her beloved husband where we know she is already waiting patiently for her family to complete her once again. We shall miss you greatly mom, and we thank you for all the love and tenderness you showered on us throughout our lives. We are truly blessed and comforted by our memories of you, and we will yearn for the day we are reunited and can embrace once again in the heavenly bliss of eternity.