Betty J. Krantz
Died November 29, 2019
SUTTONS
BAY – Betty Jane Krantz, 89, of Suttons Bay, passed away on Friday, November
29, 2019 at her home.
Betty
was born on October 8, 1930 on a farm near Rochester, MI, to Roy and Lavina (Fether-Bernath)
Cork and lived most of her childhood in that area. She graduated as the Salutatorian of a class
of 900 students from Detroit Pershing High in 1949.
Betty then went on to Michigan State University, graduating with a degree in Art
Education in 1953.
Betty
spent the summer of 1953 at the MSU Art program in the Old Art Building in
Leland under the leadership of artist Ralf Henricksen. That was her first introduction to the
Leelanau County.
It
was at the Art Dept. of MSU that she met Ken Krantz. They married in Raleigh, NC, in 1954 and
moved to Suttons Bay in 1957. She and
Ken and their three young children spent most of 1962 on the Spanish island of
Ibiza, where Betty and the children went to the beach every day while Ken
painted.
In
1965 she and Ken began Inter Arts Studio in Suttons Bay. Then her own dress shop, The Bay Window, in
1968, starting with 25 dresses she made from Indian bedspreads.
Betty
and Ken bought the summer home of the late Ralf Henricksen on the Good Harbor
Bay in 1980. During the 70s and 80s in
the winter she and friend, Punky Idema, daily downhill skied at Sugarloaf
Resort getting the most from their $35 season ski passes. Everyone in town always knew Betty with her
signature purple outfits.
Betty
is survived by her husband, Ken; her children, Shannon (Steve) Mentzer, Thomas
Krantz, and Matthew (Armanda) Krantz; her grandchildren, Matthew Merritt, Katie (Tom) Mentzer-Bennetts, Taylor (Dominic) Mentzer-Palumbo, Andrew (Jessica) Krantz,
Adam Krantz, and Zachary Krantz; and her five great-grandchildren, Kolt
Krantz, Briar Krantz, Addison Krantz, Jack Bennetts, and Quinn Bennetts.
She
was preceded in death by her parents and her brother and sister in law, Donald
(Dorothy) Cork.
A
memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, December 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at
Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay.
In
lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Cherryland Humane
Society, 1750 Ahlberg Road, Traverse City, MI, 49696.
Please share condolences
with Betty’s family below or at our funeral home Facebook page:
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