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Dr. Elisabeth Stojanovic died May 22, 2024, at her home in Starkville, MS. She was born to Johannes Selders and Henrietta Selder-de Bruyn on June 16, 1920, in Oosterhout (NB), The Netherlands, and resided there through World War II.
Schooled in business and languages, she was employed by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs to serve as interpreter in post-war Germany, and was assigned to the Control Commission of Germany, British Zone. She was also recording secretary at the Round Table Conference on Indonesia at the Hague.
While in Germany she met Boris Stojanovic, a dashing Yugoslavian graduate student at the University of Bonn. They were married in Solingen, Germany, on May 11, 1950. The next year they immigrated to the U.S.A (Ithaca, NY), and became American citizens in 1957. While her husband was enrolled in graduate school at Cornell University, Betty was employed as a secretary in the Department of Rural Sociology.
In 1956 Betty and Boris moved to Starkville, MS, and Betty became a part-time secretary/student at Mississippi State University, graduated with honors, and then went on to receive her Ph.D in Sociology in 1970. She taught courses in sociology, aging and retirement in American Society, and an honors class in contemporary social problems, and conducted research in sociology until her retirement.
Dr. Stojanovic held membership in several professional and honor societies: Phi Kappa Phi (Secretary), Alpha Kappa Delta, and Phi Kappa Theta. She authored and co-authored numerous articles and participated in national and international professional meetings, presented papers, chaired sessions and appeared on symposia panels. She was frequently invited to participate at professional workshops, was a manuscript referee for professional journals, and served as project leader for regional research projects. She was also a consulting sociologist for the Mississippi Division for the Blind and Council on Aging, nursing homes and homes for the aged in Mississippi. In 1981 she received the “Outstanding Teacher Award” given by the S.D. Lee Honors Program.
In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Stojanovic was known as one of the best cooks and most gracious hostesses ever. She frequently entertained guests in her home and was a constant companion and help to Boris as he hosted guests from every walk of life at the Enology Lab during his time as Director of the Enology and Microbiology Laboratory, often using her personal china and silver to add extra flair for special occasions. She was creative, had a quiver full of interesting stories of the German invasion/occupation of Holland and of hers and Boris’ many adventures, and was a dear friend to many.
Betty was preceded by in death by her husband, her parents, and all but one of her six siblings. She is survived by many nieces and nephews, all of the Netherlands and Belgium, and numerous friends, especially Laura and Jeff, Cannon and Ross Williams, and George and Kay Verrall, who were more like family than friends.
We are grateful for MS Home Care, Baptist Hospice, Dr. Josh Black, and her sitters: Mary, Yolanda, Reshina, Shonda, Lynn, and Bug. Memorial donations may be made to the charity or organization of one’s choice or to the Stojanovic Endowed Scholarship in the MSU College of Arts and Sciences.
