Tribute

“Betty”

August 27, 1931 – April 20, 2025

Betty was born August 27, 1931 to immigrant parents, Jacob and Maria Krause, in Chilliwack, BC.  Betty had a happy childhood. Summers were spent picking hops, raspberries; anything that could contribute to the family income. Betty loved school and excelled in academics and sports; particularly track & field and basketball.  Betty was an accomplished pianist and shared this gift throughout her life in her community and church.  Betty met her future husband, Bill Voth, in high school and they began their courtship a few years later in university. Betty and Bill were married on her birthday in 1954. They moved to Hixon, BC and started their teaching careers in a 2 room school with their combined monthly income of $100.  Janet was born in 1956 and Shirley in 1958.  That same year the young family sailed to Calcutta,  India for a 3 year volunteer assignment with Mennonite Central Committee, working with  refugees.

Upon their return to Canada they moved to Prince George, BC. They completed their family with a third daughter, Corinne, born in 1963.   Betty taught as a substitute teacher in the Prince George school district, taught piano lessons in the community and made it a priority to continue her studies with a keen interest in psychology at the local college. For 10 years she worked alongside Dr.  Keith Prendergast, an ear/nose/throat specialist and enjoyed her time there immensely.

She loved to host dinners, bridal/baby showers and her home was always open to helping the needy in the most practical of ways, even taking them in for months and sometimes years. They were one of the founding members of the Westwood Mennonite Brethren Church in Prince George and were an integral part of the church family. Betty’s Christian faith was the cornerstone of her life. Betty and Bill put their family first. Their home was filled with much laughter, music, “family fun nights”, daily devotions and enough love to make the world go around.

Once the girls left home, and upon their official retirement, they accepted another volunteer position with MCC, this time taking them to the coal mining community of Hindman, Kentucky. Here they tutored adults in achieving their grade 12 equivalency.  They were highly regarded and received the State Governor’s Award for Volunteers of the Year. The state of Kentucky had never witnessed more GED graduates on record than in the two years Bill and Betty worked there. They both stated that their time in Kentucky was the highlight of their teaching careers.

In 1995 they accepted their last volunteer position as hosts of the International Guest House in Washington DC.  They met such interesting people and shared many stories of their times at the guest house. After Bill’s passing in 1997, Betty poured herself into her church and community. She was an integral part of Doorway, an organization that assisted single moms practically, emotionally and spiritually. Betty enjoyed travelling with friends and family and even ventured off twice to India. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, Betty continued living life with a brave and positive attitude and brought pure joy to those around her.

She is lovingly survived by her daughters Janet (Don), Shirley (Harv) and Corinne (Boris); 7 grandchildren; Angela, Dori, Steven, Michael, Robert, Kathryn and Nicole, 11 great grandchildren,  Bert Krause (brother) and Joan Braun (sister).