Mary Ethel Goss was born to John Fletcher Goss and Velma Jane Craig in her parent's home in San Leandro, California on July 10, 1932.  She was the second born in the line of 4 sisters, famously known as the Goss Girls. Her father, Fletcher, worked at Caterpillar Tractor located in San Leandro, a company that relocated to Peoria, Illinois.  Peoria was a significant chapter in Mary's life, where she grew up in a hillside home above the Illinois River.  She attended Peoria Heights Elementary School and Woodruff High School in Peoria.  She went on to Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, along with her sister Jane, where she earned a bachelor's degree.  This was followed by University of Iowa, where she earned a master's degree and met her future husband, Jerry Wollett Beltman, apparently over a cup of coffee.  Mary and Jerry were married in Peoria, Illinois on the longest day of the year, June 21, 1958 and enjoyed their first several years of marriage in Illinois and Iowa.  The 70's began a new era for the Beltman family in Minnesota.  Although Mary was introduced to Minnesota as an adult, she embraced its beauty, history and culture and thoroughly enjoyed all her years in the Anoka area.  Mary began her career as an elementary school teacher and embraced the opportunity to continue contributing to elementary education through various volunteer positions, well into her 80s.  Mary was included as a recognized volunteer on the side walk of fame at the newly renovated Ramsey Elementary School. Mary left this life surrounded by her loving family on September 10, 2023.  She is survived by two sisters, Ruth (San Antonio, Texas) and Alice (Chicago, Illinois).  She is also survived by her 5 children, Jerlyn and son-in law David (El Cerrito, California); John and partner Terry (Deer River, Minnesota); Amy and son-in-law Frank (Nowthen, Minnesota); David and daughter-in-law Cris (Blaine, Minnesota); and Jenny (Snowmass Village, Colorado), and 7 grand children, Mary Lu and spouse Argo, Henry, Elena, Jacob, Catherine, Charlie and Elizabeth.  Mary is preceded in death by her sister Jane and her husband Jerry.

A memorial service will be held at First Congregational Church of Anoka - 1923 Third Avenue, Anoka, MN - on Thursday September 14, 2023 at 2 pm, coffee hour to follow.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of Mary be made to some of her favorite organizations: First Congregational Church of Anoka (1923 Third Avenue, Anoka, MN) https://uccanoka.org/donate, P.E.O. International (3700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa) https://donations.peointernational.org/peo-donation-pce, or Bundles of Love Charity https://www.bundlesoflove.org/donation-landing-