Elizabeth Lavers Legacy

This is a Go Fund Me for Bette Lavers’ only daughter, Mary Gerlach.  As Marys cousin and the niece of Elizabeth Lavers I have started this go fund me account so that we may share some of our inheritance with Mary. Mary was adopted by another couple soon after birth.  Mary looked Bette up about 25 years ago, and they’d enjoyed each other’s company ever since.  Mary also shouldered a large portion of looking after Bette in the last few years.

Bette, of course, passed without a will, and also without restoring any legal relationship with Mary.   I know this is not what Bette wanted but I feel she had such a love for life she could never face the realization that we are all only mortal.  She could never make herself sit down and make some of those very difficult decisions we must all make when we make plans for a time when we will no longer walk this earth. 

Bette’s only child will receive nothing from the probate process that disperses Bette’s estate.

Aunt Bette’s passing and its legal wake have been a roller coaster, and, like any jumble of human affairs, there are a hundred interwoven points of view.  Mary’s position, though, stood out, especially to those who have known Bette all their lives.  We tried to set things a little more right at the outset, but waiting until the legal process ran its course was the only practical option we found.

Thanks to the Lavers cousins for cooperating with all the legal correspondence up to this point.  It’s mid-September, and those of you who’ve completed the last chore of returning your tax forms should soon be in receipt of the output of this process.  

 As a last gesture, while there still is an estate of Bette Lavers, we ask you to recognize a daughter who went above and beyond to let a mother know that things turned out alright.  Wanting Bette to know and enjoy the blessing of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Like we said, this whole thing is a rollercoaster, and it’s been longer for some than for others.  We really would like for the last turn in Mary’s journey with Bette to be in a little more positive direction.

 There are enough participants here so that a little help from everyone makes a huge difference for your cousin; the law has done its best, but this is up to us.  So please, give a few moments’ thought to what you can do here, and go tap the “Donate” button.  Because this is the internet, feel free to keep it anonymous by selecting the “Hide name and comment from everyone but the organizer” box if you like.  We just think this is a good thing to do.  At the end of this campaign I will write Mary a check for the amount raised minus the Go Fund Me Fee.  

 Thank you, Lavers family.  
Melissa