PORTAGE – Anna D. (Blackford) Batty Olson, age 99, passed away peacefully at the Portage Divine Savior Healthcare on August 30 after a short illness. Most recently, she was a resident at the Columbia Health Care Center in Wyocena.
Anna was born on May 1, 1916, in Findlay, Ohio, to Kelso and Hannah (Dennis) Blackford. She attended school in Findlay, including Findlay College of Business. She attended and graduated from North Central Bible College, Minneapolis, MN, where she met Donald H. Batty. She and Donald were married on October 1, 1943 in Springfield, MO.
They lived in the Poynette, Portage, and Pardeeville area, and raised two daughters and four sons. Anna was a member of the CrossPoint Assembly of God church in Portage.
She worked at WIBU radio station in Poynette, then at the Columbia Health Care Center in Wyocena. She later worked at Divine Savior Nursing Home in Portage.
Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Donald H. Batty in 1974, her second husband, Hugo J. Olson in 2001; her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Kelso Blackford, sister, Esther Blackford, four brothers Harold, Clifton, Dewitt, and Paul; and her son-in-law Ronald Turner in 2014.
She is survived by her six children, Patricia (Paul) Blount of Paddock Lake, WI, Dennis (Beverly) Batty of Forest Lake, MN, Donald J. (Ellen) Batty of Pardeeville, WI, David (Patricia) Batty of Phenix City, AL, Doris Turner of Fort Worth, TX, and Daniel (MaryAnn) Batty of Jacksonville, FL; 16 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, three nieces, one nephew, and many dear friends.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at CrossPoint Assembly of God in Portage, with Rev. Harley Hansel and Rev. Randy Mantik co-officiating. Burial will follow in Silver Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, September 4, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage, and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the church.
Memorial gifts may be given to Teen Challenge Ministry (online: GoFundMe.com/AnnaBattyOlson).
The family would like to thank the staff at the Portage Divine Savior Healthcare as well as the staff at Heritage House and Columbia Health Care Center for their care and compassion.
