Betty Marie Hertz

Betty Marie Hertz

As told by Kate Giesmann Lindhardt Tils

My mormor, Betty Marie Hertz was born as the oldest of 6 children to Christian Marius Hertz and Mary Christine Amelia Mortensen Nielsen

Betty with her parents

They moved all the time as her father was a cabinet/furniture maker and liked to fix up houses and sell them.

She was a very caring person, and was always busy doing things for others.

She was a heavy set lady, with bowed legs (like a cowboy).

When I grew up both she and my MorFar (danish for Mom's Dad)  smoked cigars. The whole apartment was yellow tarred from the smoke.

As a young person, but also later in life she worked as a delicatessen lady in different butcher shops. She was excellent with food, and was often hired as a cook at weddings and other big get togethers

I only know her in her older years as she was 53 when I was born.

She would always make so much dinner that there was enough for several lonely people in the neighborhood, whom she would serve a plate for. She remembered a lot and told me several stories about our ancestors, but I did not know who they were, so nothing is written down.

She had a close relationship with her sisters Emmy and Carla, and we visited them often. Her brothers I do not know much about.

Left to right: Betty, Emmy, Carla

Betty had 6 children, all born at home in the little apartment at Kaersangervej 19, 1/tv in the North West part of Copenhagen.

She took care of her parents when they were old. She also took care of her husband who was 12 years older than her when he was in a coma for 6-8 month before he died in 1969

Betty liked Relief Society and attended several years before she joined the church in 1972. She was baptized together with my little brother Gert. She quit smoking cigars and drinking coffee before she joined.

Betty was always busy with her hands; knitting, crochet work, embroidering etc. She said that as a young child she could only go out and play if she brought her knitting needles and knitted gloves or socks while she played. She would knit baby cardigan and baby pants and booties for every pregnant person she knew. She often helped my mom, by mending socks and pants.

She had long hair, that was white when I knew her. I think it was brown in her younger days.She always had her hair put up, and covered with a netting.

Once a year at Christmas time ,she would gather us grandchildren, and take us to the center of Copenhagen to look at the beautifully decorated store windows. Then we would eat hot dogs at a hot dog stand, and then watch the Disney's Christmas shows at the movie theater. Every year on the day after Christmas we celebrated at her house together with all her children and grandchildren.

They never had a car, so all shopping was done by walking or riding the bus, and then carry home the groceries in her arms.

Betty was well liked by everyone, and it was said about her that she had magic hands. If she put her hands on people's body where ever it hurt, their pain would go away.

Her husband always said that she was always busy helping and serving others.

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For a picture of Betty with her Husband Hans Nielsen CLICK HERE

For a picture of Betty as a baby, and holding her first baby, CLICK HERE