Elena Ernst Betzner^[1]

1893 - 2000  (106 years)

• Name	Elena Ernst Betzner
  Born	8 Aug 1893	Baden, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Female
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91310646
  Interesting	story
  Name	Elena Ernst Ritz
  Occupation	1911	New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Telephone operator - telephone office
  		NewHamburg-Telephone-001-WaterlooHistoricalSociety.jpg The New Hamburg telephone office photo dates from the same time as the Elmira view, circa 1907. John P. Ernst, prominent businessperson, postmaster, store owner and machinist recognized modern technology and greeted it. He organized Elmira’s first telephone service, with the switchboard office situated beside his Huron Street store. Sophia Betzner is at the circuit board here and colleagues Vera Haussamen and Elena Betzner complete the telephonic trio. A short time after this photo, the building burnt down; within days, J.P. had a temporary system in place for the village’s 50 or so customers. - Waterloo Historical Society
  Residence	1911	New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Lutheran
  Eby ID Number	00006-0958.999
  Died	19 Jun 2000	New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 5]
  Buried	Riverside Cemetery, New Hamburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 5]
  Person ID	I9884	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	Isaac Betzner,   b. 2 Dec 1848, Breslau, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 7 Apr 1926, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 77 years)
  Mother	Catharine Ernst,   b. 3 Oct 1852, Petersburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Oct 1931, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 78 years)
  Married	11 Mar 1880  [6]
  Family ID	F2835	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Otto Albert Ritz,   b. 4 Dec 1893, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 7 Jan 1928, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 34 years)
  Married	21 Oct 1920  [2]
  Children	1. Richard Carleton "Dick" Ritz,   b. 31 Aug 1922, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Jun 2007, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 84 years)   2. Ernst Frederick "Ernie" Ritz,   b. 1925, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 13 Mar 2024, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 99 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F5381	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Obituary - Funeral Service Bulletin Elena E. Ritz Elena Ritz, one of Waterloo Region's oldest residents and a descendant of the Betzner family, pioneers who settled in Waterloo County in the spring of 1800 passed away June 19, 2000 at her residence, Nithview Home, 200 Boullee St., New Hamburg where here she had resided for the past four years She was 106 years of age. She was born at Baden August 8, 1893 a daughter of the late Isaac Betzner and his wife, the former Catharine Ernst and came to New Hamburg with her parents at an early age. She was married October 21, 1920 to the late Otto A. Ritz who predeceased her in January, 1928. She was also predeceased by three sisters, Mrs. Loualice (Nicholas) Wenzel, Mrs. Lorena (Norman) Kropf and Miss Sophia Betzner, and two brothers, Ervin and William and a great-granddaughter Jean. Elena was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, New Hamburg, where she had been organist for 57 years until her retirement in 1968. She was an accomplished pianist and a member of the New Hamburg Orchestra which provided music for programs and dances in the early decades of the century. She also played piano in the local theatres to provide musical accompaniment in the days of silent movies. She will be remembered also as the pianist for the New Hamburg Club Swingers, a group which played many engagements over a wide area. They demonstrated school-learned calisthenics accompanied by the piano music, "En Route" march. One of her enjoyments over six decades was to play piano duets with her husband's cousin, the late Miss Louise (Babe) Ritz. Loving mother of Dick & his wife Chris, Ernie & his wife Betty of New Hamburg, dear grandmother of Pam Ritz (Joey), Judy (Ted) Seyler, Bonnie (Stephen) May, Rick (Janice) Ritz, Bill (Kathryn) Ritz, John Ritz & his friend Betty. Ever missed by her great-grandchildren, Jessica (Mike), Maggie (Matt), Nathan, Daniel, Emily, Matt, Stephanie, Stacey (Scott), Marcia, Joe, Jake, and two it great-great grandsons Michael & James. Specially remembered by Shirley Unrau, Dianne Ritz, Pat (Emmett) Kropf, Kitchener, Gladys (Lorne) Kropf, Waterloo and nieces & nephews Friends & relatives called at the Mark Jutzi Funeral Home, 291 Huron St., New Hamburg until noon Thursday, June 22, 2000 when transfer was made to Trinity Lutheran Church, New Hamburg for the service at 2: 00 p.m. with Pastor André Lavergne & Pastor Judi Harris presiding. Burial followed in Riverside Cemetery, New Hamburg. __________________ The Mill Fire Early on the warm August 8 evening in 1902, while local residents were enjoying a variety program staged by a Chautauqua group at the local school yard, cries of "fire" and the sounding of the town bell could be heard to signal for help to fight a blaze. Little Elena Betzner, whose father, Isaac, had been head miller at the local flour mill, had been taken to the evening program to mark her ninth birthday day. Soon a column of thick smoke arose over the downtown area. This was a spectacular fire, for it was at the local flour and grist mill in the heart of the village. The large three-storey frame building was soon engulfed in flames and in a short time was razed to the ground. This was the mill built by William Scott in 1848, a half century before. It had a colourful history, having passed through the hands of a succession of owners and operators, and had been extensively damaged in the 1889 boiler explosion. The economic loss was to affect not only the owners and employees but also the community as well, for it drew farmers and their families for miles around who shopped and transacted business in town as well as at the mill. Mrs. Edward Pfaff, bride of New Hamburg's newest barber, who had recently moved to town, stood at the window of the couple's temporary home in the Queen's Hotel, (now 73-77 Peel Street) just a hundred meters from the mill. She watched with a mixture of apprehension and awe at the scene as flames and smoke billowed into the air, carrying sparks and embers over the buildings nearby. Embers and burning shingles settled on nearby roofs, some of which began to smoulder. Residents and building occupants busily carried pails of water to douse flames. New Hamburg's steam-powered fire engine Chugged valiantly, but to little avail. The frame building was doomed, and it burned to the foundation. The loss of the mill would have a definite impact on its patrons and the economy of the village as well. From: New Hamburg as it really was…. By Ernst E. Ritz

  
  

• Sources

  [S3] Book - Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., 249. [S73] Funeral Service Bulletin, Elena E. Ritz. [S307] Census - ON, Waterloo, New Hamburg - 1901, New Hamburg (Village) E-1 Page 10. [S1054] Census - ON, Waterloo, New Hamburg - 1911, p. 27;. [S153] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - Riverside New Hamburg CC#4564 Internet Link. [Previous Stone] Otto A. Ritz/ Died Jan. 7, 1928/ Aged 34 Yrs 1 Mo 3 D/ At Rest/ Ritz/ [New Stone] Otto Albert Ritz/ Dec. 4, 1893/ Jan. 7, 1928/ His Loving Wife/ Elena Ernst/ Betzner/ Aug. 8, 1893/ June 19, 2000/ Ritz [S3] Book - Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., 248.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 8 Aug 1893 - Baden, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Telephone operator - telephone office - 1911 - New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1911 - New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 19 Jun 2000 - New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Riverside Cemetery, New Hamburg, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth