Parishioner celebrates 90th birthday

Intermountain Catholic

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Betty Yanni

TAYLORSVILLE — Betty Yanni celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends at a dinner party held in her honor at Saint Martin de Porres Parish April 20.

"I’m not sure how I got to be 90; I’ve just lived my life," she said. "My faith has always been important to me."

Father Jan Bednarz met Yanni in 2003 when he became pastor of St. Martin de Porres. "She is involved in everything," he said. "She was Woman of the Year, a member of the liturgical committee and on parish council, a women’s council officer, worked in RCIA, and she prepares the funeral lunches. When I call to tell her that somebody has died, she is always ready to help – she is a Martha. She also works at the soup kitchen and she is a Eucharistic minister. I really appreciate that she is a member of our parish and is so active. We wish for her that in 10 more years we will be celebrating her 100th birthday."

Yanni was one of the founding members of St. Martin de Porres Parish in 1982. "If they ask for some help, I’m there," Yanni said. "I used to go to Saint Vincent Parish, but I came here when they built this parish to help get it established."

Yanni’s friends say she has always been a hard worker, she is kind, thoughtful, generous and dedicated.

"She’s a real joy to have in your life," said Marie Kane, who has known Yanni for more than 50 years.

Merlene Wilson is Yanni’s backyard neighbor. They met in 1958 when Wilson put a statue of the Blessed Mother in her window sill when she first moved in and Yanni came over to ask if she was Catholic.

"Our Blessed Mother brought us together and that’s why we’ve been dear friends ever since," said Wilson. "Her husband was my husband’s godfather and we’ve seen each other’s children grow up, and we’ve both had sons die."

Yanni grew up in Salt Lake City, attended Holy Cross School of Nursing in Salt Lake City and worked at Holy Cross Hospital for many years before retiring. She married Ernie Yanni in 1946; he passed away in 1989. They had five children, who graduated from Judge Memorial Catholic High School. She has 14 grandchildren and "a lot of great-grandchildren," she said.

Yanni’s daughters Roxanne Vaculin and Raelynne Jefferies shared some stories about their mother. "She made us go to church every Sunday," they said together. During Advent, the children attended Mass before school.

"She cut our bangs way above our eyebrows for our school pictures," said Vaculin.

"She would put Scotch tape across our forehead and cut, and if the tape moved, she would cut them crooked and cut higher," added Jefferies.

Yanni is known by her family to try almost anything. "She will hike, and if she needs to, she’ll climb on one of the grandkids’ back and use it as a stepping stone," said Vaculin, laughing.

"She slept in the tent and was a trooper for anything," added Jefferies.

The daughters heard their mother was a daredevil when she was a teenager. "She would always get in trouble because if she was told not to do something she would do it anyway," said Vaculin. "Once when they were camping, they weren’t supposed to swim across the lake and she did. Our grandmother made her walk all the way around to get back.

"She is a very special lady and everyone who called to say they were going to come to the party couldn’t say enough nice things about her," said Vaculin.