Betty Jean Gantner

Betty Jean Gantner, 85, of Saint Louis, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Beloved wife of 64 years of the late Ronald Gantner; loving mother of Susan Gantner, Ronald Gantner, William (Jennifer) Gantner and the late Rebecca Ng; dear mother-in-law of Sonny Ng; dear grandmother of Mary, Sean, Eric and Lilianna; great-grandmother of Caleb, Hunter, Allyson, Alexis and Payton. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Mildred Ruff, sister Jacqueline Compas, and brother Robert Ruff.

Betty described her childhood in Ferguson as peaceful and gentle. It was at school that she met her “Ferguson Girls,” a group of girlfriends who, although their lives took different paths through the years, meet regularly for lunch to this day. When she met and married Ron, she also met her best friend for life, “Little Janet.” She and Janet grew through the joys and tribulations of married life and raising children; they were each others’ rocks through life’s ups and downs.

Betty was an expert seamstress. She sewed clothes for her children, neckties for her husband and even a winter coat for herself. She learned how to quilt, had an eye for color and design, and created many beautiful quilts. One of her quilts was a semi-finalist at the International Quilt Show and was subsequently displayed for a year at The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. She was also especially proud of graduating from nursing school at age 48 and of being promoted to Assistant Director of Nursing at Mother of Good Counsel Home.

As her family and friends can attest, Betty’s favorite thing was meeting girlfriends and family for lunch. She was also an avid reader. As a member of Bible Study Fellowship for many years, she studied and learned lessons that sustained her throughout her life. Not surprisingly, Betty made many dear friends through BSF, and they, too, met regularly for lunch.

Betty converted to Catholicism when she and Ron married. She loved Mass, and her devotion to God’s will was her life’ s guiding light. She was a mentor to many, including family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. She prayed the Rosary daily for her loved ones, and could be counted on to “hit the beads” upon request.

Betty was truly a joy to know and love. We’ve met many mothers in our lifetimes but we like our Mother the best! Her legacy as a loving Christian woman will live on through the countless memories she left us with.

A memorial Mass will be held to celebrate Betty’s life on Friday, August 11th, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church, 6303 Nottingham Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109. Mass will also be live-streamed at stgabrielstl.org. Click on one of the links under Mass Times to watch the live stream Mass on Facebook or YouTube.

In lieu of flowers, Betty requested donations be made to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), 1810 Craig Rd., Suite 124, St. Louis, MO 63146.

Please leave a favorite memory of Betty for her family to cherish at the "Add a Memory" link below.