Obituary of Betty Rose Mae Steffes
Betty Rose Mae Vincent was born on November 9, 1927 in Toledo Hospital in Ohio, the first child of Charles “Norm” Vincent and Henrietta (McCarty) Vincent. After attending St. John Elementary School, she went on to become a Monroe High School Trojan in Monroe, Michigan.
A cute altar boy caught her eye and heart as he served at Mass. Although she was only eleven years old at the time, that love at first sight she felt lasted throughout their sixty-three years of marriage. She and Anthony “Tony” Steffes became husband and wife of June 25, 1947 at St. John Catholic Church in Monroe.
Betty loved life and the thrill of new places and adventures, which often led her to the sun and sandy beaches of Florida. She nurtured life in her gourmet cooking and baking for friends and family, as well as coaxing her gardens into glorious bloom, and her lush roses were her proudest efforts. She found pleasure in sharing her home with a procession of cats, dogs, and even a parrot until her vigor began wane in her nineties.
When she was sixteen, Betty started her working life behind Kresge’s lunch counter in downtown Monroe and was happy to share stories of her war years feeding the Noon rush crowd. Once her children were in school, she found employment as a fabric cutter in the sewing department of Lay-Z-Boy Furniture Company for over thirteen years. Later she was a driver for Lake Erie Public Transit where she rose to supervisor and retired after five years.
Together with her husband, she became an auxiliary member of the Loyal Order of Moose and she could be found in an evening gown dancing the night away at the Lodge’s formal events. Betty did everything with pizzaz, including the time she indulged her infatuation with turquoise by painting her house inside and out in that hue, as well as matching dye in her furniture, carpeting, and even her car.
But all good stories must come to an end. Betty Rose Mae Steffes, age 97, died peacefully at home with her loving niece at her side. She was sadly preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband: Tony Steffes; an infant son: Anthony Joseph Steffes; her sister: Earlene Tibai; her brother-in-law: Lawrence Tibai; her son-in-law: David Pierce; and a nephew: Kenneth Tibai.
She is survived by her three children: Thomas (Colleen) Steffes of Florida, Susan Pierce of Indiana, and Patrick (Susan) Steffes of Monroe, Michigan; nine grandchildren; five great granddaughters; and six nieces and nephews: Gerald (Laura), Douglas (Julie), and Larry (Wanda) Tibai, Judith (Michael) Boberg, Kathleen (Gary) Taub, and Annette (Ben) Brouse.
A Graveside Service will be held on Monday, December 11, 2023 at 11:00am at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan. Betty’s care has been entrusted to Merkle Funeral Service, North Monroe; 2442 North Monroe Street, Monroe, Michigan 48162 (734) 384-5185. Cremation has taken place through the on-site crematory, Covenant Cremation, of Erie, Michigan.
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