Elizabeth Mary Butler

Elizabeth Mary (Rokes) Butler was born on September 20, 1937 to George and Katie Rokes in Framingham, Massachusetts. She had an older sister, Norma, and three younger siblings, Howard, Cynthia and Allyn. Betty, as she was known, graduated from South Royalton High School in 1956. She moved to NYC to attend airline school, and then moved to Hartford, CT where she met the love of her life, Cecil Butler Jr., a welder at Pratt & Whitney. Betty and Cecil married on her parent's farm in Sharon, VT on March 15, 1958.

Betty and Cecil moved to Hinsdale, NH in 1964 where she lived until a few years ago when she moved into a large beautiful house with lots of garden space in Winchester, NH.

Betty loved to garden. She learned the process on her parent's farm, and taught her children how to grow their own food using organic methods. When she was finished raising children, Betty worked as a horticulturalist at Five Acre Farm in Northfield, MA for about 20 years. She liked to read botany books for fun and had an interesting collection. She was a member of several orchid societies over the years, and had a lovely collection of orchids, African violets and small trees in her home. One could easily say of her home that it was a 'jungle in there' during the winter months when she brought everything inside.

Betty learned about the Baha'i Faith from her nephew Roger, and joined officially in the mid-eighties. She is a trusting handmaid in the firmness of the Covenant.

Betty loved to read science fiction, and owned an extensive collection of epic sagas, including works by Asimov, Heinlein, Tolkien, Clark and many others. She was on her way to see the latest Hobbit movie in her last moments with us.

Betty loved to travel. In 1987 she went on a continental tour with Cecil, and they spent ten months traveling all around the United States in a van. They saw many of the natural wonders, and had an amazing journey. She went on a cruise to Bermuda with her sister a few years ago, and the Bahamas recently with her daughter and son-in-law and his family as part of a group of 15.

Elizabeth Butler is survived by her sister, Cynthia of Chesapeake City, MD; her brother, Allyn of Franklin, TX and assorted cousins, including Brad of Sharon, VT; her firstborn, Linda and grandsons, David (31) and Travis (28) and David's sons, Hayden (10) and Nathaniel (8); her second born, Bowdie and grandson Ryan (25) and granddaughter Allysa (23); her third child, Kathleen and granddaughters Nicole (24) and Megan (19), and Nicole's children Hayden (3) and Summer (2); her youngest child, Hope and her daughter Shelby (18); her husband's children by his first wife, Carole, Gloria and Nancy; and her foster son, Brian W. and his sons, Matthew (23) and Carl (22); her foster son, Brian M.; as well as many surviving nieces and nephews around the country.

Please refer back to this page for more information about ceremonies, as the dates have not been set since the cemetery in North Hinsdale is closed for winter.