Elizabeth "Betty" Toth lived a life spanning nearly a century deeply involved with her family, community, church, and fraternal organizations, while also enjoying world travel and a variety of interests ranging from line dancing to gardening to Bible study to recently enjoying televised local Ohio Valley football games. She will be deeply missed by her children Cynthia Hidell and her husband Henry (Bob) of Hingham MA, and Nicholas Toth and wife Jackie of Newfane VT, granddaughter Stacey (Toth) Currie and husband Michael and their children great-granddaughters Gracelyn and Isabella of Winchendon MA, as well as Henry Hidell's sons Christopher, Bennett and Brooke and their families. Born in Weirton, West Virginia in 1921 to Hungarian immigrant parents Elizabeth Kulin Laszlo and Stephen Laszlo, Elizabeth grew up in Weirton and graduated from Steubenville High School and attended Ohio University Eastern. She died on October 18, 2011 in the city where she was born. She was 90 years of age. She was a talented seamstress and gifted vocalist. Even with these talents she chose to remain close to home and family during the uncertain years of World War II instead of moving away for professional training or a singing career. She used her sewing talents to create clothing for herself and her children, and also made dance recital costumes for Tony Zekes' dance students and majorette uniforms for the Warren Consolidated Band majorettes. Her interest in music and singing inspired her children to learn to play several musical instruments and led Elizabeth to become the choir director for the Rayland Presbyterian Church. She was also a featured soloist in one of the last minstrel shows sponsored by the Warren Consolidated High School Booster Club. In 1942 Elizabeth married childhood friend Nick Toth, who predeceased her in 1986. They lived in Baltimore MD for a time, employed by companies working for the war effort, before returning home to Tiltonsville, Ohio to begin a family. Their children, Cynthia Toth Hidell and Nicholas S. Toth, were raised in Tiltonsville and were the beneficiaries of Elizabeth's strong community involvement. A champion of education and the public schools, Elizabeth was president of the PTA, member of the Warren Consolidated band Mothers, and a Warren Consolidated School Board member. With others she worked hard to help with upgrading the the school system's physical plant and teaching curriculum. She was responsible for the successful grant application which resulted in the construction of the Merkel Apartments in Tiltonsville. Elizabeth came by her interest in education at an early age. Her home in Weirton was across the street from the local elementary school. An only child at five years of age, Elizabeth saw the children in the school yard, crossed the street to play with them, and followed them into the classroom when the school day began. The teacher, tired of sending her home, finally relented and said if she was that interested she might as well begin school. A member of the Rayland Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth was Sunday School teacher, choir director, soloist, and church Elder, and made the church a part of her family's life. She was a member of the Pollyanna Class and had many lifelong friends in the church. She also enjoyed cooking and baking for many church functions and fundraisers. Family activities were very important, with weekly visits to parents and Elizabeth's brother James and his wife Edna, both of whom predeceased her. Summer brought vacation visits to Baltimore to visit Nick's brothers and their families, and family fun at home when they came to Ohio to visit. In later years Elizabeth continued the tradition with visits to her children and their families, and most recently with visits to her granddaughter and her family. She also enjoyed traveling widely in the United States including a visit to Hawaii with her husband Nick, and vacations in Europe and Australia. Her Hungarian heritage was important to her and she was a member of the Hungarian-American Culture Society. Intertwined with Elizabeth's ancestral history and that of her mother's Kulin family Hungarian ancestry lies the Kulinic Dynasty of Bosnia, founded by Kulin. Bosnia had been part of Hungary prior to 1163. Elizabeth took special pride in her family history of Hungary and the Kulinic ties and often proclaimed to her family that she was the remaining Princess of the Kulinic Dynasty. This bit of family lore is especially appreciated by her young great-granddaughters. Elizabeth was a very active member of the Emera Chapter, 456, Order of the Eastern Star and was Worthy Matron, with her husband as Worthy Patron. She was also a member of the Wardah Husam Temple No. 53 of the Daughters of the Nile. She was employed by the Warren Consolidated School District and retired from the Buckeye Local School District. Elizabeth's family would like to thank all the staff at Serra Manor assisted living of Weirton and her friend and neighbor Linda Milhone for all their loving care and attention. Memorial contributions may be made to: Daily Bread Center, PO Box 416, Martins Ferry, OH 43935. Friends will be received Friday 2-4 & 6-8 pm at the Heslop Funeral Home, 415 Walnut St., Martins Ferry OH where services will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011 at 10:00 am with Rev. Thomas N Thomas officiating. Burial follows in Union Cemetery, Steubenville OH. Condolences to the family may be made by signing the guest book at the top of this page.

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