Elizabeth "Betty" (Wodka) Anastos

June 11, 1929 - Dec. 22, 2013
SOUTH BEND - On December 22nd, 2013, at 1:15 a.m., Betty Anastos peacefully passed with her children at her side after a short battle with liver cancer. On June 11, 1929, in South Bend, Indiana, Betty was born to Joseph and Stella Wodka.

At six weeks old, Betty lost her father, Joseph, and at the age of six lost her mother, Stella. Orphaned, her grandparents, Andrew and Bernice Molenda (Stella's parents) looked after her. Caring for Betty and with their age against them, Andrew and Bernice left their Olive Street home and moved above the Molenda Brothers Grocery store on Carlisle Street where their son, Frank, his wife, Anna, and their three sons (Robert, Edward and Frank Jr.) resided.

After the passing of Andrew and Bernice while in her High School years, Betty was adopted by Stella's brother Frank and his wife Anna. While all three of her brothers attended medical school, Betty helped with the family grocery store, graduating from South Bend Washington High School. Shortly after graduation, Frank, Anna and Betty moved to U.S. 31 North. While living there, Betty helped around the house and with the chickens they raised.

Betty attended a local business college and then went to work at Associates, Inc. She loved going to the various dance halls around town which is where she met her husband, James L. Anastos Sr. On August 27th, 1955, James and Betty were married at Christ the King Catholic Church. Betty moved in with James and his parents (Louis and Florence Anastos) to their North Notre Dame Avenue residence. It is here they started their family of six children. In 1973, Jim and Betty moved to the west side of South Bend on Parkway Street across from Maurice Matthys Little League. Betty was everyone's "Mom." She made all of her kid's friends and all the neighborhood kids feel like they were her own. There were always kids at the Anastos household. Betty was involved with all of her kids' sports functions, school activities and neighborhood gatherings. No one went hungry while Betty was around. Even though sometimes money was tight, Betty always found a way to feed the masses. She was so warm, loving, generous, and outgoing, everyone became her friend. Wherever Betty went, someone knew her.

Her seven grandchildren were very special to her. She made it a point to always attend all of their events. Even though the grandkids had more energy than she did, she never let that keep her from doing things with them. To each one of them, she was their Busie. Betty never put herself first. In addition to raising six children, she took into their home what seemed like every sick relative to care for them all while working full-time and sometimes part-time too. Besides working at the grocery stores and Associates, Inc., Betty also worked throughout her life for the South Bend Police Department, Crum & Forrester Insurance, South Bend Economic Development, AM General and Little Dutch Cleaners. Her part-time employment included the University of Notre Dame Concessions and the University of Notre Dame Athletic Department Varsity Shops.

Betty is survived by her six children, Sue A. (Roland) Eckman, James L. (Pattie) Anastos Jr., Elizabeth A. Chrzan, Paul J. (Kathy) Anastos, David A. (Susie) Anastos, Barbara A. (Mike) Graham; her seven grandchildren, Nicholas Anastos, Christina Anastos, Abbagail (Paul) Hornberger, Andrew Anastos, Gabrielle Graham, Dalton Anastos and Dakota Anastos. Fr. George Lucas, CSC, became "her number four son" when she and her husband James stood up for him as he became a Deacon of the Catholic Church. She is also survived by a few special cousins, Phyllis Amati, John Hasko and Ronnie (Laverne) Molenda; and lots of nieces and nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-four years, James L. Anastos Sr., her birth parents. Joseph and Stella Wodka, her adoptive parents. Frank and Anna Molenda. her brothers. Robert V. Molenda, Edward J. Molenda and Frank J. Molenda Jr.

Visitation will be Sunday, December 29th, from 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Dr., South Bend, where a Rosary will be prayed at 4 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, December 30th, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church. Memorial monetary gifts may be given in her name to Fr. George Lucas, CSC, - Missions/Uganda, Africa, P.O. Box 6523, South Bend, IN 46660; or to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Dry foods or can goods may also be brought to the funeral home which will be donated to one of the local food pantries.

Sources: Ancestry.com and Legacy.com

11/12/2023 EJS