Elizabeth Louisa Peters Ziegler (Betty Lou), of Cranbury, NJ, passed away on October 25 at the age of 86, listening to Tommy Dorsey, to which she and Jack danced many many times. She was the proud mother of two sons, John Kenneth Ziegler, Jr. (Paddi Rogers) and Walter Lewis Ziegler (Susan Ryan), both of Cranbury, and grandmother of Olivia (John and Paddi) and Brigid (Walter and Sue). Her husband of 54 years, John Kenneth Ziegler, Sr. (Jack), preceded her in death as did her parents Walter Lewis Peters (aka ‘Dutch’) and Hazel Simons Peters. She is also survived by many cousins, nephews and nieces, grand-nephews and grand-nieces, all of whom she loved dearly.
Born and raised in Medford, NJ, Betty Lou was a fixture in her adopted town of Cranbury. A graduate of Rider College, where she met Jack, she was an elementary school teacher, first in Cranbury and then in Plainsboro, NJ. Subsequently she became the Cranbury Township Deputy Clerk, and was active in the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society in which she was an early president, playing an instrumental role in having Cranbury being named to the National Register of Historic Places. She also invested many hours at the Cranbury History Center and Museum, where she enjoyed sharing with visitors the heritage of Cranbury. She and Jack were members of the Cranbury United Methodist Church, where they were Youth Group leaders. She was also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company.
She loved the shore, and from early childhood spent summers in Surf City on Long Beach Island, where her father built a modest cottage so he could enjoy his surf fishing. She loved painting beach and lagoon scenes with her mother, and cooking the fresh catch of the day.
Her family and friends will miss her dearly.
A memorial gathering will be held Saturday, June 1, 2019 from 2pm to 4pm with a service starting at 3:30pm at the Cranbury Museum, 4 Park Place East, Cranbury, NJ 08512. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company, the Cranbury First Aid Squad, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and St. Jude’s Research Hospital for Children. Arrangements are under the direction of the Barlow & Zimmer Funeral Home, Hightstown.