Bettie Salberg Smith

During the last five weeks of Bettie Salberg Smith's life, she was hospitalized three times. Each time we all prayed to bring her home, but the third time the Lord that she loved and served for 93 years said, “No! It's time to 'take' her home.” She returned to her Lord at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

She is survived by her best friend, her confidant, her longest-serving caregiver and her pal, Louise Emmett. She also is survived by her children, Father James Salberg, Elizabeth Scott, Michael Smith and Kevin Smith; and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by the loves of her life, Will Clifford Salberg (1946) and Robert W. Smith (2001).

Her favorite words were “thank you,” and she gives special thanks to Karen Marshall, Joni Metz and Carol Shope, who also provided for her care for so long and for so little.

She is also thankful for Dr. F. Gordon Foster, Dr. John Rocchi and Dr. Michele Mikolajczak, who provided her with such a great quality of life. They were all able to do the best of things in the worst of times. So, too, the care and concern of Medi Home Health Care, especially Melissa and Jeff. And, at the end, all of the angels of mercy at Butler Memorial Hospital and the VNA Inpatient Hospice of Butler, so pet-friendly that they permitted her beloved Scardy Cat to visit.

SMITH — In lieu of flowers (which she only liked if they were alive and in the ground and red), she would be honored by donations to the Butler VNA Inpatient Hospice, 115 Technology Drive, Butler.Funeral arrangements for Bettie Salberg Smith who passed away Saturday, July 14, 2012, are entrusted to Martin Funeral Home, 429 Center Ave., Butler, and are incomplete. The arrangements will be in the Butler Eagle later this week.