Elizabeth Ann Tiemeyer

Elizabeth Tiemeyer died on New Year's day 2023, ending a valiant and lengthy struggle with Lewy Body Dementia. Even in the periodic depths of confusion and frustration that Betsy experienced over the past few years, the best parts of her beautiful soul still burst through the fog. LBD could not extinguish her wit, wry sense of humor, instinct for justice, and concern about the universal well-being of others. These characteristics also defined the many and varied missions of her life.

Betsy was born in Cleveland, OH, in 1937, the daughter of Aubrey and Dolores Johnson. Her early life was active and instilled a love of learning and music. She was a fan of the Cleveland baseball teams of the late 1940s and helped her own children become better players by throwing and catching with them throughout their young lives. She also played clarinet and made sure her children's lives and educations were enriched by music. Betsy graduated from Lakewood High School in Lakewood, OH and then received her bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH. At Wittenberg, she met her husband, Arnold Tiemeyer, to whom she was married from 1959 until his death in 2009. Their life together was fulfillingly consumed with raising three children (Michael, Ann, and Peter) and with the shared missions they pursued in service to others, to greater social justice, to racial equality, to Women's rights, to LGBTQIA+ rights, and to general community involvement. Arnold served as Pastor to three Lutheran congregations and in several churchwide organizations and Senior healthcare advocacy positions. In each of these congregations and positions, Betsy was essential to their shared success. When Arnold left parish ministry, Betsy continued to work as an administrator to churches in the communities in which they lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She also worked in the administrative office at the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia. Betsy and Arnold lived and worked in and around Waterloo, IA, Chicago, IL, and Chatham, NJ before moving to Chestnut Hill and then Blue Bell, PA. They moved into Shannondell in Audobon, PA in 2006.

After Arnold's death, Betsy met Curt Logan at Shannondell and they shared a committed relationship for over a decade. Betsy and Curt cherished their travels to places around the United States and beyond. They also enjoyed theater, music, spectator sports, and time at the Jersey Shore at the house that Betsy shared with her daughter Ann and son-in-law Tom Taylor. Just as in the early years of her life, Betsy enjoyed an active life at Shannondell, participating in ballet, tap, dramatic productions, the Democratic Club, and many years of gardening.

Betsy was a gifted parent to her children, always knowing exactly what they needed even before they knew it themselves. She was exceptionally wise in judging with equal measure what she provided and what she withheld from her children. She was a fearless listener and trustworthy confidant who was also keenly attuned to providing equitable distribution of her time and largess. As loved as she was as a mother, she was also a deeply beloved grandmother to her four grandchildren, providing memorable hand-sewn Halloween costumes, customized bibs and bibkins, and myriad crafts and projects that expanded small minds and hands.

Betsy is survived by her son Michael and his partner Nancy (Watkinsville, GA), daughter Ann and her partner Tom Taylor (New York, NY), and daughter-in-law Mary Drew (La Grange Park, IL). Betsy's youngest son Peter (Mary Drew's partner) died of pancreatic cancer in 2017. She is also survived by her four adult grandchildren Katie (Palo Alto, CA), Sam (La Grange Park, IL), Andie (Austin, TX), and August (La Grange Park, IL). Betsy loved flowers and trees but would have strongly preferred that, in lieu of flowers or trees, donations be given in her memory to any of the following charities whose missions were very important to her and her family: ELCA World Hunger (https://www.elca.org/hunger); Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center (https://lewybodyresourcecenter.org); or Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church, Audobon, Pa (https://standrewslutheran.com). A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 27 at Saint Andrew's (2725 Egypt Road, Audobon, PA 19403). The service will begin at 2:00 PM with opportunity to greet immediately following the service.