Betty Beilke was selected Granton’s Honored Grandparent for 2010

and will be riding in the 60^th annual Granton Fall Festival parade Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010.

(Contributed photo)

“It is difficult to start telling you why our Grandma should be this year’s Honored Grandparent because we’re afraid there would be no end to the list.  We could tell you our Grandma cooks the best food and provides the best babysitting because that’s true, but she’s so much more than that.  Betty Beilke is the glue that holds the Beilke family together through the toughest of times; the deaths of her father, her husband and her oldest grandchild, Shane.”  These are just a few of the many kind words expressed in the nomination letter for Granton’s 2010 Honored Grandparent recipient, Betty Beilke.

Betty Beilke has been a long-time resident of Granton, raised in the Town of York and then she married Harold Beilke in 1951. They enjoyed 49 years of marriage before he passed away in 1999.  Together they raised three children, Marilyn, Darrell and Richard (Rick).

Betty has six grandchildren, Jenny (Weiler) Beck, Nathan, Morgan, Casey, Jordan and Tiffany Beilke, all who submitted her nomination for this award.  They said, “Grandma embodies all of the things that one would hope a grandmother would be, but she breathes new life into that role on a daily basis. She is sweet and giving, faithful and honest, hardworking and humble.  She makes the best pot roast this side of the Mississippi, and her caramel bars are blue-ribbon caliber. But most importantly, she has six grandchildren that appreciate her and truly adore her.”

They wrote, “Grandma Beilke has managed to win the affections of her grandkids with more than Caramel bars and bedtime stories (although we do know that once she fills our bellies full, she’ll be there to mend the buttons on our pants when they pop off!)  From little on, we were earning (learning) the values of hard work and the importance of family by spending time on the farm with Grandma. Every grandchild spent time feeding calves, washing milkers, pulling weeds, washing windows, hanging clothes and making jam.”

These memories reflected by the grandchildren are ones they would not trade for anything, and now that they are older, they realize those things taught them strong values of appreciating family and making an honest living.  All of the grandchildren have now graduated from high school and several have moved away, but they look forward to her calls and care packages.  They wait or the chance to come home and visit. They also know she rarely misses an opportunity to hop in the car with her boys so she can visit them.  She has started some traditions with her grandchildren and they come home to continue those, such as Tiffany coming home to help can pickles.

There are many things that make Betty a special Grandma. She takes an active interest in her grandchildren’s lives and always has. They wrote, “There aren’t many basketball games, volleyball games, music concerts or FFA banquets our Grandma hasn’t attended – she keeps track of stats and achievements and hoots and hollers as loud as any other fan.  Everyone knows they can count on Grandma no matter what the circumstances.”

“When Jordan, her youngest grandchild, was diagnosed with a serious food allergy that made finding things to eat almost unbearable, Grandma totally revamped all of her  recipes and made special trips to different stores to buy the right ingredients just so Jordan never feels left out at family get-togethers. We only eat gluten-free meals at Grandma’s now.  She is constantly clipping out articles about Jordan’s condition and sends home the special food she makes for her every week.”  In another example, “When her granddaughter Jenny was trying to have a baby, Grandma inquired weekly about how things were going, expressing her pride and excitement.  Just last month Grandma found out the she is finally going to be a great-grandma for the first time this January.”

Along with this most recent exciting news, Betty will celebrate her 80^th birthday in October, and her youngest grandchild graduated from high school this spring, making this year’s selection as Honored Grandparent, even more special for her.  How special Betty is to her family can best be summed up in the final words from the nomination letter; “This nomination isn’t written by six little kids being prompted by their parents; it’s coming from grown grandchildren, because the truth is, it’s easy to love your grandma when you’re little, but it’s truly something special when you enjoy her company even more as an adult.  One of the perks of being an adult is being able to ‘choose’ your family, whether it be through marriage or which friendships you cherish most; for us, it’s such a blessing to know we were given the best grandma the first time around.”.

As Granton’s Honored Grandparent, Betty will be one of the leaders in the 60^th annual Granton Fall Festival Parade, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010.  This award is sponsored each year by the Granton FFA Alumni.

Betty Beilke Honored in Granton Fall Festival Parade

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