- Date Of Birth: June 11, 1929
- Date Of Death: December 22, 2013
- State: Indiana
Elizabeth (Betty) A. Anastos
June 11, 1929 – December 22, 2013
On December 22nd, 2013 at 1:15 a.m. Betty Anastos peacefully passed with her children at her side after a short battle with liver cancer.
On June 11, 1929, in South Bend, Indiana, Betty was born to Joseph and Stella Wodka. At six weeks old, Betty lost her father, Joseph and at the age of six, lost her mother Stella. Orphaned, her grandparents, Andrew and Bernice Molenda (Stella’s parents) looked after her. Caring for Betty and with their age against them, Andrew and Bernice left their Olive St. home and moved above the Molenda Brother’s Grocery store on Carlisle Street where their son Frank, his wife Anna and their three sons (Robert, Edward, and Frank Jr.) resided.
After the passing of Andrew and Bernice while in her High School years, Betty was adopted by Stella’s brother Frank and his wife Anna. While all three of her brothers attended medical school, Betty helped with the family grocery store, graduating from South Bend Washington High School. Shortly after graduation, Frank, Anna and Betty moved to U.S. 31 North. While living there, Betty helped around the house and with the chickens they raised. Betty attended a local business college and then went to work at Associates, Inc. She loved going to the various dance halls around town which is where she met her husband James L. Anastos Sr.
On August 27th, 1955, James and Betty were married at Christ the King Catholic Church. Betty moved in with James and his parents (Louis and Florence Anastos) to their North Notre Dame Ave. residence. It is here they started their family of six children. In 1973, Jim and Betty moved to the west side of South Bend on Parkway St. across from Maurice Matthy’s Little League.
Betty was everyone’s “Mom”. She made all of her kid’s friends and all the neighborhood kids feel like they were her own. There were always kids at the Anastos household.
Her seven grandchildren were very special to her. She made it a point to always attend all of their events. Even though the grandkids had more energy than she did, she never let that keep her from doing things with them. To each one of them, she was their Busie.
Betty never put herself first. In addition to raising six children, she took into their home what seemed like every sick relative to care for them all while working full time and sometimes part-time too. Besides working at the grocery stores and Associates, Inc., Betty also worked throughout her life for the South Bend Police Department, Crum & Forrester Insurance, South Bend Economic Development, AM General and Little Dutch Cleaners. Her part time employment included the University of Notre Dame Concessions and the University of Notre Dame Athletic Department Varsity Shops.
Betty is survived by her six children, Sue A. (Roland) Eckman, James L. (Pattie) Anastos, Jr., Elizabeth A. Chrzan, Paul J. (Kathy) Anastos, David A. (Susie) Anastos, Barbara A. (Mike) Graham; her seven grandchildren, Nicholas Anastos, Christina Anastos, Abbagail (Paul) Hornberger, Andrew Anastos, Gabrielle Graham, Dalton Anastos, and Dakota Anastos; Fr. George Lucas CSC became “her number four son” when she and her husband James stood up for him as he became a Deacon of the Catholic Church. She is also survived by a few special cousins, Phyllis Amati, John Hasko, and Ronnie (Laverne) Molenda; and lots of nieces and nephews.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-four years, James L. Anastos Sr., her birth parents Joseph and Stella Wodka, her adoptive parents Frank and Anna Molenda her brothers Robert V. Molenda, Edward J. Molenda, and Frank J. Molenda Jr.
