Lena or Lenah Belle Oliver was born on April 23, 1874 in Dighton, Oseola County, Michigan. She was the daughter of Elias and Alice Ann (Smith) Oliver.

On January 28, 1891, she married Ervin Leonidas Getty in Britton, Lenawee County, Michigan. Ervin died in 1929 at the age of 58.

They had six children including:

1. Adeline Estella "Addie" Roggerman

2. Floss May "Flossie" Roggeman

3. Blanche Irene Rolph

4. Veyirl Lena Wittkop

5. Alice Naomi (Koster) Gretsinger

6. Doras Helen Getty

When she was 60, Lena married John E. Monk on March 15, 1939. He preceded her in death in 1953.

Lena died on April 19, 1966 in Ridgeway Township, Lenawee County at the age of 91. She is buried in the Ridgeway Cemetery .

God Grants Mother’s Wish

"I hope I die in the winter time. I’d hate to leave my garden and the flowers, but they are asleep then, too and I wouldn't mind so much.” How wonderful God granted my mother's wish and took her to her Eternal Home in December.

Grandpa and Grandma Getty had five girls. The second one was my mother. Grandpa Nub always called her "Jake." She was his boy, and he could not have picked a better one.

Mom loved the outdoors with all her heart. Her garden was planted in the right sign of the zodiac and kept clean with a hoe and her push one-wheel cultivator. The vegetable’’. end flowers grew and blossomed better, she thought, because she shared them with friends, neighbor, and her the church. I think the liberal mulching she did with "barnyard fertilizer" also helped a lot. She hated all weeds, but especially burdocks and bull thistle.

She must have been very happy when they moved to Onondaga to live with us in 1960. The pasture and lane were almost solid burdock and bull thistles! Every afternoon. Mom could be seen with her spade and one of the grandchildren, usually Mary, fighting the enemy. Mom won, too, for until she had to go to a nursing home, we had very few of the pesky things.

Her lovely voice singing the beloved old hymns -“Brighten the Corner,’’ "W hen the roll is Called Up Yonder," "Beulah Land,’’ ‘‘In the Garden," "The Old Rugged Cross," ‘‘In the Sweet By and By." "Blessed Assurance,” and so many others could be heard above the whine of the mower as she circled the lawn, while she gathered the nuts from the many hickory trees in our yard. while’ she’ worked en her garden (hr hung up her clothes, or whatever she was doing at the moment.

A short rest after the noon meal was spent reading her King James version of a well used Bible’. for she felt the words were more beautiful in it. Of late years she decided to read the Living Bible because it was easier but when Mom used a Bible passage in conversation it was from the older Book.

Her favorite chapter contained the verses ‘‘In my Fathers house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. Go prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and claim you unto myself, that where I am, ye may be also.”

Peace and happiness in your mansion, Mom. Verily. I say unto you. Thy ways were the ways of truth and love, and thou didst earn thy reward.. .