Ruth Ann Englant Betz - 2012
MHS 1948 Graduate
Ruth Ann Englant Betz, class of 1948, was nominated by Michael Gallina, class of 1978, and Lynnette Gallina, class of 1982. Betz' family moved to the Minerva area from Canton a month before her tenth birthday. Ruth Ann has been a loyal fan of Minerva--the town, the schools, and the people. She is intelligent, compassionate, and generous. These traits have served her well throughout her life.
Betz was a good student showing promise early in life. She bypassed the last half of fourth grade and skipped to the middle of fifth grade. In high school she showed leadership by serving as a cheerleader. She was also the lead in the senior class play and served as class secretary. During high school she worked during summers at the Minerva Dairy. After graduation, she was employed by the Minerva office of the Natural Gas Company of West Virginia. In 1955, she entered Kent State University's cadet teacher program. While attending Kent summers and nights, she began her teaching career at West Elementary in January of 1958. She received her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Kent in 1964. While there, she was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for educators. Her interest in art led her to taking classes at the Canton Art Museum. At West Elementary, she taught seventh and eight grades, and was advisor to the cheerleaders, Jr. Hi Y and Jr. Tri Hi Y.
With the building of the new Minerva High School, the seventh and eighth grades in Minerva moved to the old high school building on North Market Street. This became Minerva Junior High and later, Frances Hazen Junior High. At the junior high, Betz taught eighth grade and continued advising the seventh and eighth grade cheerleaders. She served as cheerleader advisor for seventeen years. During this time she taught several subjects, but her main teaching assignments were English and Ohio History. For a time, she served on the negotiating committee of the Minerva Local Teachers' Association. She was also secretary of the Minerva High School Band Boosters. She retired from teaching in 1986.
For years Betz has served our local community. For the past twenty-two years, she has volunteered at the Haas Museum of the Minerva Area Historical Society where her main duty is cataloging new acquisitions. She also serves as trustee of the organization. Since 1991 she has been the treasurer and trustee of the Minerva Education Foundation and Alumni Association where her duties are many. She has served as the Minerva High School/Dr. William Powell Scholarship liaison for Tiger Woods Foundation. She has also served on the Alumni Hall of Fame Construction Committee. As a member of Kappa Delta Pi, she was secretary of the Stark County Chapter, and served in many other capacities. Her work with the Church of God over the years has included initiating a church library, serving on several fund-raising committees, and creating floral arrangements for the church's Basket Shop.
She lost her husband to a brain aneurysm in 2003 after fifty-two years of marriage. Her daughters, Diane Granger and Debby Wolpert, son-in-law, David Wolpert, grandchildren Andy (Sheri) Wolpert, Melissa (Shawn) Eaton, Doug and Matt Granger, and great-grandsons, Trent and Calvin Wolpert and Grant and Alec Eaton are the joy of her life.
While such a list of activities would be enough to keep anyone more than busy, it does not capture even half the ways in which Betz continually helps people. Above all else, she is a true giver. She constantly provides love, support, and affection to her family, friends, and acquaintances.