Betty C Reinking

Betty Reinking, before falling in love with and marrying our Dad, the late Chester “Chet” Reinking, was Betty Dornseif. She was born on January 14, 1924, growing up only a few blocks from Emmanuel Lutheran Church, where she attended church on Sundays and school during the week. She was the baby of the large Dornseif family, doted on by her loving parents Walter and Clara and by her four older brothers, Dan, Theo, Wally, and Eddie, and two older sisters, Dottie (Schuricht) and Ruth (Koselke). Her life has now come full circle as our family will soon mourn her passing at Emmanuel where she was baptized, confirmed, and married.

To us, Dave, Carl, Laura (Jackson), and Chris (Ruch), she was Mom. Mom is a common, every-day word, but it’s much more to those lucky enough to have a Mom like ours. For us, Mom is not just a word, but a palpable presence--more a collective verb disguised as a noun: loving, caring, giving, supporting, serving, smiling, joking, cooking to name a few—all seasoned with a well-aimed feistiness of purpose and a competitiveness that surfaced mainly during spirited euchre games with family and friends. Mom shaped who we are in so many ways, centering us as a close knit family. Her presence is now gone and with the heaviest hearts we must now use the past tense when speaking of her.

But, she will always be with us, and, through us, with the next generations of our extended families. She no longer lives among us, but remains in us as we continue to meet the high expectations for goodness that she instilled in us. She was not perfect and neither are we. But, she had, and gave all of us, a core of good heartedness, caring for others, a strong moral sense, all grounded in her deep abiding Christian faith. She was the one who cajoled us to play with the least popular kids in the neighborhood, who insisted that we set aside part of our allowances for the March of Dimes or for church contributions, who adopted one of our single college friends who had just moved to Ft. Wayne as a new teacher and church organist, and welcomed everyone, friend or stranger, with a warm smile.

Raising and creating a happy and close family was job one for Mom. She continued to serve that role even as more often it was up to us to care for her in her final years. But, she also shared her time and energies outside the home. For 60 years, she was an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, volunteering for many projects and causes. For 25 years, to help with family finances, she worked in the business office of the Lutheran Hospital, and served as a volunteer on many church and community boards and committees.

Mom and Dad were married for 63 loving years and were at the center of an extended family. Mom is survived by her children, Dr. David (Sharon) Reinking of Athens, GA; Carl (Marilyn) Reinking of Fort Wayne, IN; Laura (Dr. J. Phillip) Jackson of Fort Wayne, IN; Christine (Bart) Ruch of Fort Wayne, IN; grandchildren, Aaron (Shashana) Reinking, Mark (Janet) Reinking, Ann (Justin) Whitener, Sarah (Gary) Watkins, Katie (Brian) Reinking, Rachel (Allen) Loechner, Claire (Tyler) Burgardt, Hannah (Philip) Arthur, Allison (Josh) Lewis, and Jake Ruch; step grandchildren Heather (Christopher) Doherty and Amber (Andy) Knapp; and 24 great grandchildren.

We will gather at 10:30am for a visitation before an 11:00am funeral service on Monday, November 9, 2020 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 917 West Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne. Social distancing and masks will be required. Arrangements by Greenlawn Funeral Home 6750 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, IN. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Emmanuel Lutheran Church or Camp Lutherhaven (1596 S. 150 W., Albion, IN 46701). To sign the online guestbook go to www.dignitymemorial.com. We encourage you to celebrate Betty’s life with us by adding stories or pictures.

Dave, Carl, Laura, and Chris