Obituary of Elizabeth Martonis

Elizabeth (Betty) Martonis, formerly of Tanglewood Manor, the Senior High Rise Apartments, and 349 Van Buren St., Jamestown, NY, and Buffalo, NY, passed away peacefully three days after her 95th birthday, on October 22, 2013 in the Heritage Village Rehab and Skilled Nursing Facility. A Jamestown resident since 1953, she was born in Jenkinjones, West Virginia on October 19, 1918. Betty was the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Szony Blash. She was preceded in death by her three brothers: Joseph, Steven, and Julius Blash and three sisters: Viola Toth, Helen Zonger, and Goldie Bonaldo. Three other brothers and a sister died in infancy. Her sister, Margaret Blash of Thorold, Ontario still survives. The Blash family frequently visited their relatives in Eger, Hungary, where Betty lived from age four to ten years. On returning, the family moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario. While at Niagara Falls Collegiate Vocational Institute, Betty joined every play that came along, acting and singing. In her early twenties, Betty met her husband, Vincent S. Martonis in Niagara Falls, NY. They were married on November 29, 1941 in Freeland, PA and celebrated their 68th anniversary before Vincent died on December 26, 2009. Originally from Buffalo, NY, the couple lived Lakewood and Cassadaga, NY for a short time and then moved to Jamestown, NY. While in Jamestown, the family first lived on North Main Street and later moved to Van Buren Street, where the couple lived for forty years. Betty is survived by her three children: Irene (Michael) Lavin of Amherst, NY, Vincent P. (Joanne) Martonis of Gerry, NY, John D. (Patricia) Martonis of Jamestown. She and her husband also had seven grandchildren: Heather (Douglas) Johnson of Henderson Harbor, NY, Stephen (Diane) Martonis of Longmont, CO, Daniel (Liane) Martonis of Little Valley, NY, Cheryl (Scott) Sulock of Orlando, FL, Andrew Lavin of Lockport, NY, Russell Martonis of New York City, Sarah Martonis of Gowanda, NY and ten great grandchildren. Interested in nurturing health throughout her life, Betty worked for nearly forty years in health related jobs at area drug stores including Clark's Drug Store, W&B Swanson Pharmacy, and as a nurse's aide at W.C.A. Hospital and also for private elderly patients, a job she particularly enjoyed. Music, especially singing, was an essential part of Betty's nature. In addition to singing at home, Betty sang with the Sweet Adelines after her children were grown; with the Off-Key Crooners Association in Casselbury, FL, where she and Vince were snowbirds, and for a while with the Golden Gems music group at Tanglewood Manor, where the residents frequently heard her melodious voice at various times throughout the day. Betty was deeply devoted to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and through her life, looked for the good in all people. Nature was a continuing source of joy and inspired her to write poetry. She loved to cook and prepared a number of Hungarian dishes and pastries. She also enjoyed family gatherings, picnics with her family at parks, the Moose summer home and traveling. Betty was a communicant of Holy Apostles Parish at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church where the family will celebrate a private memorial mass at a later date. She will be interred in Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Chautauqua Blind Association, 510 West Fifth St. Jamestown, NY 14701 or to the Jamestown Lion's Club, P.O. Box 3683, Jamestown, NY 14702.