This was in the Mansfield paper along with Mother's picture

News Journal's 'Garrulous Granny' dies
By JAMI KINTON • News Journal • December 27, 2008

The witty words of "Garrulous Granny" have ceased.
Betty-Beth Bankert, 80, whose columns ran for nine years in Sunday News Journals died Christmas Day.
The Howard woman called her columns a reflection of life.
"Sometimes it's the little things that are important," she said upon her News Journal debut in 1999. "It's the little daily things that keep you going -- the nice girl at the check-out, an unexpected letter, a thank you for something I gave somebody 10 years ago."
Bankert's final column will appear Sunday. It's about her former secretary's visits to her in assisted living.
The Illinois native lived in Indiana 23 years before moving to Howard, where she and her husband Russell, built a cottage. Bankert said family in the Columbus area drew them to Ohio.
She was the mother of six, and had several grandchildren -- whom she said gave her the credentials to pen the column.
She also self-published a selection of her first four years of columns in a book titled "Garrulous Granny a.k.a. Beth Bankert."
Bankert said she appreciated the connections she made with readers.
"One thing about writing ... is you're writing for yourself, but it's nice when you make a connection," she said. "When someone in the grocery store says, 'I read your column and the same thing happened to me.' "
There will be no calling hours, but a funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Jan 3. at Rutherford funeral home, 515 High St., Worthington.