Britt Leoni
•9/9/2026
At 87 years old, Elisabeth Hartung has learned a thing or two about life. One of them is that life rarely goes according to plan. "I really didn't think I'd ever get married after taking 28 years to get rid of the one that I knew after 5 years wasn't really a good deal," said Elisabeth. Eventually, when Elisabeth married again and moved to Vi at Bentley Village, it brought her the family she never could have expected. Elisabeth is known as "Gigi" to sixty grand- and great-grandchildren. "I have a few greats that I can kind of get confused on," said Elisabeth. How she keeps track is a mystery even to her. "It is kind of a lot of work and trying to remember what they're all doing and what their important interests are in life," said Elisabeth. And sometimes, the family roll call can get a little complicated, but there is one thing Elisabeth makes sure each of them knows. "Every time I talk to any one of them, I tell them I love them," said Elisabeth. So while life has thrown Elisabeth a few surprises, there are sixty reasons she wouldn't have it any other way. "I just hope that they're happy," said Elisabeth. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.
