Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Parker Bruening Marquis

Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Parker Bruening Marquis, 84, passed away on August 9, 2019 at home in Sun City, Arizona. She was born on April 4, 1936 on South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay), OH to Alfred and Elizabeth (Kuemmel) Parker. Betty Ann grew up on South Bass Island. She loved horses and ponies and ran the local pony ring rides as a young teen in 1950s. She had helped tame a pony named Curley and taught him how to do tricks and special moves. They had a very special bond. Her father would board horses and ponies for various people on the island and her and her siblings would ride them. She had other horses named Ruby & Chris. She tied & picked grapes, studied hard and some remember her nickname "Muscles." She graduated from Put-in-Bay High School on Put-in-Bay, Ohio in 1953. After high school she attended Tiffin University in Tiffin, OH where she studied business and clerical. Over the years, Betty Ann worked at many different clerical positions after attending more college later in life in AZ. Betty met Richard E. (Dick) Bruening in 1954 on Put-in-Bay when he drove taxicabs on the island. She was crowned Grape Festival Queen in 1953. They were engaged in 1954, eloped to Indiana in Jan.1955. They repeated their vows in Jan.1955 in a Catholic ceremony. In 1966 they were in a tragic auto accident which took away their daughter Pamela Sue at the age of 5. They recovered with the blessings of many, even defying odds of ever walking or riding horses again. However, that didnt stop Betty; she did come back to horseback riding and owning her own horses again. She had her Arabian named Kasbo and Dick had Casey. They were happily married for 35 years and lived in Scottsdale, Glendale, and finally in Dewey, AZ where they had horses and gardens and lived the happily semi-retired life. They had canned items in the local county fair and won various awards. Dick passed away in 1990 and Betty Ann moved back to the Valley of the Sun in Sun City, AZ to be closer to her children and grandchildren. In 1994 Betty met David J. Marquis. They married in March 2007 in Bullhead City, AZ after a 2 week cruise to Hawaii. He has been her "rock" and stood by her through the many health issues she had. They traveled by truck and trailer all over the US, moved up to larger RVs and continued those travels. They visited all 50 states. She enjoyed meeting new people and hearing of their travels and being out of the Arizona heat in the summer. They would travel for about 6 months out of the year. They enjoyed eating out, camping in the forests, fishing and navigating around the country. Betty enjoyed all her horses, gardening, flower arranging, decorating, sewing, grandchildren, and traveling. Her favorites were red, Poinsettias, Christmas, and her grapefruit and orange trees. She took many photos, writing about where shed been, keeping her legend documented so family could envision her life as it unfolded. She was proud to be from Put-in-Bay even though she had wanderlust and wasnt a lifetime islander, shell always be an islander. Betty is survived by her husband Dave Marquis in Sun City, AZ & her beloved dog Casino; her daughter Marilyn (Mark)Kelly in Glendale, AZ, her sons Gregory (Brenda) Bruening in Boulder, CO and Kenneth Bruening in Phoenix, AZ, her step-son Jeff Marquis in Gilbert, AZ. Her brother William (Sharon)Parker, sisters Jeanette (Tim) Luecke, and Linda Parker all in Ohio. She has 9 grandchildren: Matt (Chris), Chris (Erin), Kathy (Justin), Nick (Mary), Jena, Geoff, Gary, Anneliese, and step-grandson Z David. Betty has 11 great-grandchildren; and her nieces and nephews and other relatives. Betty was preceded in death by her parents Alfred and Elizabeth, her daughter Pamela Sue (1966 auto accident) and her husband Richard. A Funeral Mass will be held at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, Put-in-Bay September 19th, 2019, Thursday at 1 pm. Fr. Ron Brickner (from the mainland) and Deacon Mike Leahy will preside. Burial will be in Maple Leaf Cemetery following the church service. Family and friends may gather at Lueckes' after the cemetery service. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to local animal shelters as she loved all her animals, Mother of Sorrows Church, or visit Put-in-Bay and purchase a bottle of your favorite island wine and enjoy the island. Funeral Home: Neidecker-LeVeck & Crosser Funeral Home - Port Clinton Chapel 1124 Fulton Street Port Clinton, OH US 43452