Elizabeth "Betsy" Crone

Elizabeth "Betsy" Crone (née Albert) passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026, at the age of 94.

Betsy's early years were marked by hardship, spent moving through multiple foster homes-some loving, some deeply difficult. From those experiences, she made a powerful choice: she chose love. That choice shaped the rest of her life and defined who she was to everyone who knew her.

In 1952, she married her first husband, Joseph Hillmann, the father of her children, and together they built the big family she had always dreamed of. Within eight years, they welcomed six children. Betsy was a wonderful mother, and the home she created was one filled with love, laughter, and joy-especially during the early years before the heartbreaking loss of her beloved Joe in 1973. After his passing, Betsy went to work to support her family, and as the family likes to say, "the inmates took over the asylum"-a house full of teenagers. Through it all, she remained calm and unassuming, humble, funny, and deeply supportive, never afraid to offer advice when it was needed. Her quiet strength and gentle humor were constant gifts. Those who knew her felt lucky to be her friend-and even luckier to be her family.

Betsy later found love again and was the beloved wife of her second husband, Joseph Crone, who also preceded her in death. Family was everything to Betsy. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and she considered her family her greatest blessing. Her faith was central to her life and sustained her through both joy and loss. She also found joy in simple pleasures-cheering on her beloved Eagles, spending time at the beach, and showing a lifelong love and compassion for animals. Even in her final, challenging years, Betsy remained an incredible blessing to those around her. She was lucid to the end, marked by her trademark humor-joking about her own passing and laughing with her daughter Beth through even the toughest moments of her last weeks.

Betsy was preceded in death by her husbands, Joseph Hillmann and Joseph Crone. She is survived by her children: Joseph Hillmann (Desiree), Stephen Hillmann (Gail), Paul Hillmann (Mari), Beth Hillmann (Tom Kappeler), Christopher Hillmann (Linda), and Bonnie Manion (Mike Manion); her 16 grandchildren; her 16 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; and her best friend, Doris Goodwin, who was like a sister to her.

We are so grateful to have had her for so long. She will be missed terribly, but she remains part of us always. God bless her.

At the request of the family, services are being held privately.