obituary

Betty R. Prescott

Tue, 11/08/2016 - 3:00pm

Betty Rosalind Barlow Prescott, 85, died Nov. 1, 2016 in the presence of her loving family.

She was born March 13, 1931 in East Boothbay, Maine, daughter of Everett and Rosamond Barlow.

Betty grew up in East Boothbay. Betty's father was a lobster fisherman and boat builder and her mother was a master seamstress among many other talents and occupations.

Betty graduated from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine in 1949. She attended the University of Maine. In 1951, Betty moved to Bangor and her first daughter was born. Five more daughters arrived soon after. Betty's daughters and grandchildren were the highlight of her life. She was truly a home maker for her family. She was an amazing organizer and felt, like her mother, that she could do anything if there was a book about how to do it. She was an expert seamstress and made many of her daughters' clothes. She modeled her strength and self-reliance for her daughters, giving them the gift of these lifelong qualities.

On Oct. 14, 1978, Betty married Henry Prescott. He was the love of her life. He adored Betty and became a second father to Betty's daughters. Betty's death, five years after Henry's, marks the end to Betty's loneliness for Henry.

When Betty's daughters were grown, she began researching the history of her family. She was able to verify the arrival from Germany in 1717 of Christopher Barlow. She also tracked their arrival to the Boothbay region. She traveled all over the U.S. and Germany for her research. It was her dream to write a book which she partly completed. Her daughters are left with walls of books and cabinets full of files, material for many books. Anyone interested in her genealogy records are welcome to contact the family.

Betty was active in Columbia Street Baptist Church for 60 years. Every Sunday morning, she got her six little daughters dressed and ready for church. Betty attended adult Sunday School where she made dear friends. She also served on the finance committee and donated her time and resources. Betty had a strong faith in Jesus Christ. She read her Jesus Calling devotional book every day and her daughters continued reading it to her when she no longer could.

Betty loved spending time at the ocean in her family home in East Boothbay where her family still lives. She also spent all her summers at her camp on Phillips Lake, Lucerne. One of her greatest joys was to sit on her sun porch looking past her birch trees and down the lake. This was Betty's heaven on earth.

Betty received loving comfort care from the St. Joseph nurses and staff and from all her care givers at Stillwater Health Care. In her last days, Betty asked to go home. She believed she would be with Jesus and Henry. We think of her there and know she is at peace.

Surviving are sister Brenda Barlow Hassler and husband Bruce of Enfield, Connecticut; daughters Terry Grant and partner Sue Emmert of Lansing Michigan, Laurie Crane and husband Donnie of Rumford, Maine, Rebecca Sinclair and husband Robert of Glenburn, Maine, Betsy Grant and partner Elaine Stevenson of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, Julie Reed and husband David of Holden, Maine, and Janet Howell and husband Bill of Holden, Maine; eight grandchildren, Jennifer Coombs, Carrie Johnson, Jeremy, Shannon and Deanna Karam, Cody McInnis, Julianna and Joey Howell; and six great-grandchildren Leontine, Gage, Necia, Kashius, Preston and Reese.

Funeral services were held at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor on Friday, Nov. 4.

Gifts in memory may be sent to Columbia Street Baptist Church, 63 Columbia Street, Bangor, ME 04401 and to St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation at 360 Broadway St., Bangor, ME 04401.