Elizabeth ‘Betty” Ritzema Sweet age 83 of Grand Rapids, formerly of Lansing, Mt. Pleasant and Higgins Lake areas died June 16,2005 at her home in Villa Maria Retirement Community. She was born in Greenville MI on March 8 1922 the daughter of James H. and Lorene C. Huelster Ritzema. Betty was a graduate of Greenville High School with the class of 1939, she attended Michigan State University and then served her country in WW II with the US Navy as a WAVE. She was married to Robert M. Sweet in 1946 and was a volunteer as a Gray Lady at St. Lawrence Hospital while living in the Lansing area and worked for Central Michigan University for several years while living in the Mt. Pleasant area before retiring to Higgins Lake MI.
She is survived by her husband Robert of Grand Rapids, her daughter Sally and Ben Lundquist of Grand Rapids, son Tom of Boyne Falls and son Steve of Mackinac Island, grandchildren, Ryan Lundquist, Lake Sweet , Eric Sweet, Kyle Sweet and Katie Sweet, her sister Sally Klackle of Massachusetts, her in laws, Irene Moore of Hastings, and Louis and Jean Sweet of Lansing and nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her sister Barbara Schacht and her brother W.H. ‘Bud’ Ritzema just 24 hours prior to her death.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday June 18, 2005 at 4:30 PM from Hurst Funeral Home, Greenville with Rev. Jerrold T. Jones of the First Congregational Church of Greenville officiating.
