Beautiful Betty Brodel Franzalia Turned 100 Last Year! UPDATE: Betty Passed Away March 3, 2024

MARCH 4, 2024 UPDATE: We just received word from family that Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Brodel Franzalia passed away early Sunday morning, March 3, 2024, peacefully, at age 104. She lived an amazingly wonderful life and will be greatly missed by many. May God bless and comfort all her loved ones we pray.

Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Brodel Franzalia, my second cousin and older sister to actress, Joan Leslie, turned 100 years old on February 5, 2020! 

Betty along with sisters Mary and Joan were actresses in Hollywood. The youngest of the three changed her name to Joan Leslie and was the most sucessful. 

Betty was in the following movies: 'Swing Hostess' (1944), 'Too Young to Know' (1945), 'Cinderella Jones' (Uncredited)(1946), 'Hollywood Canteen' (Uncredited)(1944), 'Cover Girl'(Uncredited)(1944) and a couple of more. 

She married Joe Franzalia in 1948 and he passed away in 1999. 

Here are links to a couple of recent articles regarding her 100th birthday: https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200117/local-woman-would-like-mother-to-receive-100-cards-for-100th-birthday 

https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200204/crestview-residentrsquos-birthday-wish-comes-true 

And a few more photos of Betty...Joan Leslie, Gary Cooper, Mary Brodel, Betty Brodel 1941 - Joan and Gary working on movie Sergeant York

Betty is in the back, second from left, Joan Leslie is far left, my mother Joyce Hearn Palmer is third from right and her sister, Pat Hearn Hibben is second from right... all cousins.

Sisters Mary Myrl Brodel Russom (1916-2015), Joan Agnes Brodel Leslie Caldwell (1925-2015) and Elizabeth Betty Ann Brodel Franazlia

FEBRUARY 3, 2024 UPDATE

Here is the Feb 4, 2020, article previously mentioned above: 

https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200204/crestview-residentrsquos-birthday-wish-comes-true 

Crestview resident’s birthday wish comes true

Northwest Florida Daily News

Some of the 787 birthday cards Betty Franzalia has received so far hang on her wall. Franzalia, who turns 100 on Feb. 5, loves receiving mail and her daughter, Toni Davis, asked for the public’s help in getting her 100 cards to celebrate her 100th birthday.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The goal was to get Berry Franzalia 100 cards for her 100th birthday on Wednesday. Locals have sent her nearly 800 as of Monday morning.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Betty Franzalia, who turns 100 on Feb. 5, is pictured with some of the birthday cards she has received so far. Franzalia’s daughter, Toni Davis, said her mother loves receiving mail and wanted help to make her 100th birthday special by asking people to send her a birthday card.