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GHENT--Mary R. Goetz, 87, of Chatham died on March 15, 2010 at the Whittier Nursing Home.  She was born on March 19, 1922 in Philadelphia, the daughter of the late Elizabeth Koch Reiner and Matyas Reiner of New Lebanon. Her brothers, Matyas Reiner of Chatham and Frank Reiner of New Lebanon, died previously.

Mrs. Goetz was the devoted wife to the late John Goetz and loving mother to the late Carol Goetz. She felt blessed to have two granddaughters; Genevieve and Georgia Goetz. She is survived by her son, John and his wife Donna Goetz; nieces Pat Colburn and Dawn Brutsch and nephews Matthew, Richard, and Frank Reiner.

Mrs. Goetz enjoyed all of her grand-nieces, grand-nephews and her many “adopted” grandchildren. She was always available to baby sit and looked forward to it. All these children will remember how she always gave them a dollar on special occasions.

Mrs. Goetz grew up in New Lebanon and at the age of 18 moved to the Bronx to stay with family and gain employment. She met a handsome young man, John, before World War II. They married in 1946 and raised their children in the Bronx.  After her husband’s early death, Mrs. Goetz remained in the Bronx and worked as a bookkeeper at a bank. Twelve years ago, Mrs. Goetz returned to Chatham to be with her family and friends.

Mrs. Goetz loved to dance and did so in many settings including the West Prima Ballroom, square dancing and at weddings. She was full of life and traveled to Europe three times in her later years. Her favorite hobby was taking photos of everyone and everything.

The Goetz family would like to send sincere thanks for the wonderful, personal care given to Mary from the staff at Whittier Rehab and Nursing Center, and equal thanks to the Hospice Staff from Columbia-Greene.  Donations in Mrs. Goetz’s memory may be made to Community Hospice of Columbia-Greene at 47 Liberty Street, Catskill, NY 12414.

Calling hours will be at the French, Gifford, Preiter & Blasl funeral home, Chatham Wednesday, March 17 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Mrs. Goetz will be buried in the family plot at St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx on Thursday. Please meet at the funeral home at 9:15 a.m.  Coach service will be provided for family and friends wishing to attend the burial.

For directions or to send an online condolence visit www.frenchblasl.com.

GT.BARRINGTON--Elizabeth "Betts" Steele Miller, 82, of New Lebanon, died on February 9 at Fairview Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after a hip fracture in October of 2008 and resulting long illness.

Born in Osceola Mills, Penn. October 6, 1927, Mrs. Miller was the daughter of the late Charles and Agnes Pehutski Steele. She was the wife of the late Joseph J. Miller, who died on February 5, 2003.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller were married in Buffalo July 2, 1960 and stories have it that the wedding was “the event of the summer” because Andy Williams was there to sing. After moving to New Lebanon from Colorado, they lived in Canaan and New Lebanon for 47 years. During their marriage they enjoyed traveling to Switzerland, Austria, Ireland/Britain/Wales and Scotland and cruising to Mexico, the Caribbean and Alaska.

Mrs. Miller was an active member of her community, belonging to the library book club, the New Lebanon Women’s club, the Lebanon Valley Seniors and a Women’s Bible Study Group in Canaan. She was also an active member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in New Lebanon and enjoyed the newly established Ministry Group most recently. On the day she broke her hip, Mrs. Miller had enjoyed the trip the group took to Cambridge to see the Monks of New Skete Monastery and to have lunch at the Cambridge Hotel.

Mrs. Miller was an athletic woman in her life; she enjoyed tennis, golf and downhill skiing. She also loved to cook with baking being a specialty. She is best known for her “Polish butterhorn” cookies at holiday time and would frequently bring other kinds of cookies everywhere she went. Her family and friends will greatly miss her “Grammy B bread.”

Mrs. Miller was raised and educated in Pennsylvania. She attended nursing school at Amsterdam Memorial Hospital and furthered her education at the University of Buffalo. She was a registered nurse and worked in Saratoga Springs before travelling to and working as an Operating Room nurse in Alaska and Hawaii. She worked locally at the Canaan Clinic for many years before retiring in the 1990s. Folks there knew her as “Liz” or “Lizzie”.

She leaves her two children, Pat and husband Dan Fabiano of Richmond, Mass. and Stephanie and her husband John Proffitt of Anchorage, Alaska. She also leaves her two adored grandchildren, Arielle and Karissa, who knew her as “Grammy B.” She was the last surviving of the Steele siblings: Helen Johnson of Pennsylvania, Matt Royal of New Jersey, Dorothy Eggleston of Saratoga Springs, Irene Demcheck of Pennsylvania and Charles "Bud" Steele of Florida. She also leaves her brother-in-law Dave Miller and his wife, Mary Lou, in Rochester and many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 10, at 11 a.m. in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Route 20, New Lebanon. Relatives and friends are invited to the church to greet the family starting at 10 a.m. Private burial will take place in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mrs. Miller’s memory may be made to the Rett Syndrome Research Trust, the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, or Hospice Care in the Berkshires in care of Hall & Higgins Funeral Home, P.O. Box 9, Stephentown, NY 12168.