Elizabeth "Liz" Kier

ELIZABETH (Liz) EDNA (WELTY) KIER was born June 8th 1925, the 3rd youngest of 9 children born to George Henry and Edna Elizabeth (Anderson) Welty. She passed away November 22nd 2025 and was the last of that family to leave this earth. Her many interests included crossword puzzles, camping, gardening, being outdoors, and needlework. Mom especially loved reading, lottery scratch-off tickets and most of all her family. Nearly all evenings were spent watching Jeopardy, Dateline, and nature shows. Early in life, while growing up on the family farm in Amboy, Illinois and after the chores were done, she entertained herself by cutting out pictures of people and furniture from catalogs and building houses and businesses around the perimeter of the family living room. Towards the end of WW2 she worked as a secretary at the Pentagon. Mom arrived in Long Beach, California on June 8th 1947 (yes, her birthday!) and met Mort Kier the following day on a trip to Catalina with Saint Bartholomew’s young adults group. They dated for several years and married on January 27th 1951. Starting in 1954 four children were born to them in the course of 5 years. To save money and because she liked to sew she made almost all of the kids’ clothes and uniforms. She was a determined lady who, even though she had never lived alone, was able to figure out how to get things done after Mort passed in 2017. Relatives, friends and neighbors would describe her as a special person who lived a full, wonderful, incredible life; someone who was kind, sweet, thoughtful, and had an endearing laugh. We were blessed to have her with us for an amazing 100 years!

She is survived by her children: Debbie (Duane) Gentry, Betsy (Rick) Ostrich, Tim Kier, Pete (Connie) Kier; 7 grandchildren: Chance, Tracy, Jeff (David), Daniel (Vanessa), Spencer (Noelle), Andrew (Mary) and Ben (Leonela); and 5 great grandchildren Elizandra, Easton, Emalise, Violet and August.

She lived a life well loved and we will miss her more than words can say, but we will savor our many memories and the positive and happy attitude she always portrayed.

In lieu of flowers Mom would love it if you made a donation to the Long Beach Press Telegram “Send a Kid to Camp” program https://godonate.akoyago.com/LBCF/fund/press-telegram-send-a-kid-to-camp, Long Beach Meals on Wheels or the Charity of your choosing.

A memorial Mass will be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church (her parish of over 60 years), in Long Beach, CA on Saturday, January 3rd 2026. It will be followed by a gathering at Recreation Park Golf Course 18 banquet hall.