Elizabeth Lienhart Acosta, 61, passed away suddenly on Monday, August 9th, 2022 at Harrison County Hospital in Corydon, Indiana.

Beth was born to Everett and Anne (Stokely) Lienhart in Elkhart, Indiana, on September 20th, 1960, the fifth of eight children.  Her parents preceded her in death. She attended St Thomas, Brookdale Jr High, and graduated from Elkhart Memorial High School with the class of 1979. She moved to San Diego California and met Fred Acosta, with whom she married and had two children. They returned to Elkhart where she became employed by Manchester Tank, and where she worked until her retirement on June 30th, 2022. After she and Fred separated she met the love of her life, Tray Heinke, with whom she was living at the time of her passing.

She is survived by Tray and her two children, Christina Acosta and Jason (Stephanie) Acosta. She is also survived by her seven grandchildren: Lilian Holman, Noah and Sophia Wiltfong and Greyson, Theodore, Ari and Freya Acosta, who will all miss their Nana and the trips and adventures she had with them.  Her siblings survive her: Jim (Karen) Lienhart, Leslie (Tony) Cunningham, Cathy (Vann Weiderman) Wagner, Laura (Tim) Steller, Julie Fernatt, Chip (April Cervigni) Lienhart and Jenny Roberts, along with dozens of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and unofficial siblings, children and fellow travelers.

Growing up on a farm, Beth learned to garden and was always growing something, even if it was only a few tomato plants. She took to mushroom hunting, finding morels every year in her own special spots. She eventually took classes so she could branch out to finding mushrooms all year long, along with the Michigan Mushroom Hunters Club. Her love for lakes started when the family moved to Heaton Lake in the early 60s. She swam, boated, water skied and floated with her family and friends and lived near lakes the rest of her life. She learned to kayak as an adult and shared her joy on the river with friends. Childhood trips to Lake Michigan continued into her adult life and she has passed that love on to her grandchildren. 

We always hear “live every day like it may be your last!” but rarely do we do that. Beth did. Beth lived her life as an adventure and shared it with everyone. From her travels as a small child in a Volkswagen Bus with a canvas tent, a one-wheel trailer, her parents and 6 1/2 siblings to backpacking solo through Thailand, riding a camel across desert, ziplining across Costa Rica or crawling through a squeeze in a cave as Chairperson of the SJVG, Beth searched out new experiences and did it her way, which was “I’ll figure it out when I get there.” She faced any hardship in her life with that same fierce determination, and any travel mishap just became another adventure and a new story to tell.

Everywhere she went, Beth made friends. Share a plane ride or a boat trip across a river? Friend. Stayed in a Hostel in a jungle for 2 days? Friend. Only knew her through her posting and trip reports? Could be a friend, just say hi.  She was truly interested in your life and family. Beth helped other people without looking for credit or wanting recognition, just because they needed help and she could offer it. Beth has touched lives across the globe and will be missed by all.

There will be camping and food and stories at Jenny Robert’s farm at Heaton Lake Friday and Saturday, August 19th and 20th. There will be a viewing on Sunday the 21st at Walley-Mills Zimmerman in Elkhart, Indiana from 1 to 5 pm  Eastern and the service will be held there at 11 am on Monday the 22nd.

Donations made in memory of Beth may be made to Cancer Resources for Elkhart County at www.elkhartcancer.org the local non-profit organization that was a big part of Beth’s life.