NEWPORT – Betty Ann Knowlton, 92, of Barnet, passed away in her sleep with loved ones by her side on Friday, May 2, at Bel Aire Center in Newport.
She was born on March 23, 1933, in Hardwick, to Mildred (Bailey) Gates and Elmer Van Ness Gates. She attended Hardwick Elementary School and graduated from South Lancaster Academy, South Lancaster, Mass., in 1951.
She married Howard Larkin Knowlton, after graduation on June 2, 1951, in South Lancaster.
After the wedding, they returned to Hardwick, where their two children were born at Hardwick Hospital. Dr. Warren delivered Betty and both her children in the same room.
They moved to St. Johnsbury in 1965, where, along with raising her family, she worked at the St. Johnsbury House and then Desrocher’s Pharmacy before becoming the bookkeeper for Knowlton’s Welding.
They moved to Barnet in the early 1970s and loved living there for the next 50 years.
She and Howard (Slim) were married for 71 years before he passed away in 2022. In 2024, she moved from Barnet, where they had lived for 50 years, to the St. Johnsbury House, where she loved living until her passing.
She was a member of the St. Johnsbury Seventh-day Adventist Church. Mom never met a stranger, so if you knew Betty, you were probably on her long prayer list.
She was the light of our lives. Her wit and wisdom never ceased to amaze us. She loved Border Collies and loved playing games of all sorts.
Along with many family members and friends, she leaves behind her son, Roger (Lois) of Cabot; granddaughters, Kelly (Phil), Chelsea (Kirk); great-granddaughters Ella, Izzy and Lily; daughter, Martha (Scott), Walla Walla, Wash., and grandsons Alan, Aaron and Adam.
Mom will surely be missed, but we look forward to seeing her soon when our Savior returns to take us home.
Ricker Funeral Home & Cremation Care of Woodsville is assisting the family with arrangements. To offer the family an online condolence, visit rickerfh.com.
