Betty Forster, age 86, of Bark River, met her Heavenly Father on November 13, 2020, at the Cedar Hill Assisted Living, hours after hearing from all of her children, several who were at her bedside when she passed.
Born in 1934, she was the third of four children, and the only daughter of Martin and Eleanor Schultz. After graduating from Saint Joseph High School in Saint Joseph, Michigan, Betty attended Sparrow Nursing School at the Edward Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where she met Ned Forster. They were married in 1954 and resided in Lansing where they raised five children before moving to Bark River in 1973. Betty worked several years at Woolworth. In 1983, she moved from Bark River as Ned’s work took them to Utah for several years, and then Nevada. There, she worked at the Naval Air Station Fallon. When Ned retired, they moved to the mountains of Arizona. Betty returned to the U.P. several years after Ned’s death in 2008.
She is survived by her children Susan (Steven) Rostorfer, Mark (Nancy) Forster, Joanne (Dennis) Hebert, Nora Forster, and David (Ann) Forster. Betty was blessed with grandchildren: Sara (Chris), Denise (Daniel), Michael (Sarah), Stacy (Avi), Amy (Scott), Jennifer (Jason), Daniel, Benjamin, and Erin (Alex). She was amazed to live long enough to have 18 great-grandchildren. She is fortunate to still have her brother Marvin and her sister-in-law Linda of San Jose, CA.
She treasured the friendship of her dear friends Beth and Jerry McCreary of Arizona, and also her fellow residents at West Highland Apartments and Cedar Hill Assisted Living.
Despite her early vision loss and many surgeries, she was a trooper. She enjoyed endless walking, and the attention of being the oldest person to zip line on El Yunque in Puerto Rico in 2017 along with her three daughters.
Betty was also very fortunate to have the devoted support of her daughters Joanne and Nora, her son-in-law Denny and granddaughter Amy and her husband, Scott, all of whose efforts were needed to live as independently as she was able to. She received great care at Cedar Hill, with “what’s not to like”.
And “That’s life!”, Betty.
Per her wishes, private services will be held at the convenience of her family.
The Forster family is being assisted by the Skradski Family Funeral Home in Escanaba.
Beth M. McCreary - GLOBE, AZ
It was such a pleasure to have been a part of Betty’s life, even for a short time. We had fun together when we would go on our doctors’ visits to the valley. Such stories Betty told!!! She would walk over to our house when she was going “stir crazy” and sit and visit, telling me about the birds she saw that day from her window. I think of her when I see the hummingbird feeders still hanging from the carport railing. Besides the birds, the weather was always a topic of conversation. Betty’s pride and joy was her children and she spoke of all of you so often. We all love you Betty! Rest in peace dear friend!!