Betty Lou Wolfe, 90, of Vero Beach passed away at Grace Rehab on Oct. 20, 2016.
She is survived by her children Stephen George Wolfe (Bebe Emerman) of Pasadena, Calif., and Joanne (Scott) Heimer, of Avis, Pa.; her grandchildren Shana Heimer (Tom Duran) of McElhattan, Pa., and Colton Heimer (Kate Vaccaro) of Wayne, Pa.; along with dozens of nieces, nephews, and extended relations.
She was predeceased by brothers George, Clair, Mark, Jay, Ray, Charles Lee, and Fred Courter and by her sisters Mary Viola Courter, Elsie Courter Kramer, Margaret Marie Courter, and Florence May Courter Burnell. Also predeceased by a daughter, Sharon Ann Wolfe.
Born April 25, 1926 in Greene Township, Clinton County, Pa., Wolfe was the youngest of 12 children and last of her generation of siblings. In April, she celebrated her 90th birthday with a party at her church, Christ By The Sea in Vero Beach. It was attended by some 100 people including family and friends from seven states.
She was the daughter of John Clayton Courter and Margaret May Hufnagle Courter. She spent most of her childhood living in the Courter Homestead in East End Nittany Valley, Clinton County, Pa. Her father died when Betty was seven years old, but she had nine older siblings who were an important part of her youth, including Florence May who was only 15 months older.
Wolfe graduated from Mill Hall High School in 1944. In recent years, she managed to attend the Old Mill Hall High School Reunions each summer, in 2016 celebrating her 72nd Class Reunion.
After graduation she worked at the Sylvania plant in Mill Hall. On Aug. 18, 1945, she married George Henry Wolfe (deceased) in Harrisburg, Pa., and together they ran the Wolfe Coal and Excavating Company in Mill Hall, Pa., which was begun by George’s father, Armor Wolfe. She was an integral part of not only running the office, but loading coal and sometimes even helping with deliveries.
After moving to Vero Beach in 1970, she continued to be very connected to her Pennsylvania family and church, Bald Eagle United Presbyterian Church. She would return every year for Courter Reunions at Labor Day, but she was also thriving in her new found home in Indian River County. She especially loved Spring Training for the LA Dodgers and a night at the ballpark for the Vero Beach Dodger games.
She worked many years at Holiday Inn as a night clerk and then dining room manager. She always enjoyed seeing Lock Haven friends who would arrive at the Piper plant in Vero. In her later working years, she ran the office for JJ and Richard Turner and their landscaping business. She adopted them as her Florida family.
Wolfe was very much a “people person.” She made friends and maintained friendships throughout her lifetime. She had a huge group of friends and she was very proud of the birthday cards or Get Well cards she would receive, often numbering as many as 100. These remembrances meant a lot to her and she gladly and dutifully shared her talent, writing cards and notes by the dozens each month to fellow members of Christ By The Sea Methodist Church. She was a good friend, upbeat, and her great, welcoming smile encouraged newcomers to the CBTS Office to join her church in Vero.
Traveling and spending time with family and friends meant so much to her. She accompanied her daughter, Joanne, on several trips to Europe and was always ready to have fun on her next adventure. She was an amazing, vital, independent lady who was quite proud of driving by herself back to Pennsylvania each summer until almost age 90.
Her numerous family and friends will miss her very much, but sometimes, God says “Come home good and faithful servant.”
Funeral Arrangements are entrusted to the Strunk Funeral Home, 916 17th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Memorial services will be held at a later date in both Vero Beach, and in Clinton County, Pa.
Memorial contributions in Betty’s name may be made to Christ By The Sea, 3755 Highway A1A, Vero Beach, FL 32963, Bald Eagle United Presbyterian Church, 109 Main St., Mill Hall, PA 17751, or Annie Halenbake Ross Library, 232 W. Main St., Lock Haven, PA 17745.
