LETTER: Remembering Greatness: Betty Widmann, Local Hometown Hero

The following obituary was written by Harleysville resident Matt Helfrich.

Over the past two years, I’ve written several letters to the editor featuring the great work accomplished by people within our own community. As the media - with the exception of the Lansdale Patch, of course - continues to focus on actors, leaders, and athletes at the national level, we tend to overlook the “hometown” heroes who live in our own neighborhoods and communities.

Unfortunately, we normally overlook the greatness in our own family and friends, whose talents, kindness and compassion improve our lives on a nearly daily basis. As Ferris Bueller noted over 30 years ago, “If you don’t stop to look around once in awhile, you may miss it.” The fictitious Sausage King of Chicago’s words of wisdom aptly describes my admiration of and appreciation for Betty Widmann of Doylestown, PA, who died suddenly and tragically on New Years Day.

I lost my mother in 2009 after a brave and courageous fight with terminal cancer. Her death was devastating and left a void in my life that only a mother could fill. While there is a comic stigma about in-laws and plenty of good natured jokes about your spouse’s family, the void left by my mother’s death was filled by my mother-in-law, Betty Widmann. Her willingness to open her heart to me and treat me like her own son helped me to realize the greatness in the woman.

Instead of making big proclamations about being a second mom, Betty naturally assumed the role with confidence and understanding. I could talk to her about my anxieties and concerns without fear of judgement. I could ask her for the type of “motherly” advice that I used to rely on when my mother was alive. She learned the recipes to my favorite dishes that my mom used to make, and found a way to replicate these dishes with the same great taste that only a mother’s love could provide. She added the extra touch and emphasis on detail that made every holiday and birthday special.

Betty shared her talents and love with all of her family members and friends. She made a positive impact in practically every community from York, PA to the Delaware River. She seemed to posses an almost magic existence that allowed her to make every one of her grandchildren's’ games while taking a friend to cancer treatments and helping my wife and I catch up on 12 loads of laundry.

The true greatness of Betty Widmann was her willingness to put others’ needs before her own. Regardless of what she was doing or how she was feeling, she could always be relied upon to help any family member or friend in need. She was like a modern day super heroine who seemed to arrive where and when she was needed the most. And like a true super hero, Betty never asked for anything in return for the help she provided to others. It’s a shame that people like Betty rarely receive the attention they deserve and that their efforts are rarely categorized as “greatness.” Yet the plain truth is that people like Betty Widmann keep our families together, make holidays special, and are always there to catch us when we fall. In a word, greatness.

On New Year’s morning, the communities of Bucks and Montgomery counties collectively lost one of it’s greatest when Betty Widmann passed away. The only consolation for Betty’s families and friends during this difficult time is that she is undoubtably a guardian angel - the Angel of Doylestown - who will continue to help us and look over us as we struggle to move forward without her.

Image courtesy Helfrich family