Elizabeth J. Davis

Elizabeth is predeceased by her husband Lawrence (Bill); sons Larry and Brian Davis and son-in-law Joe Stratton and by all of her brothers and sisters. She is survived by her daughters Cindy Stratton and Wendy (Shane) Rodell and her sons Jeffrey (Michele) Davis and Michael (Agnes) Davis, her daughters-in-law Rose Davis and Gwen Davis; 19 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Elizabeth (Betty, Bette) was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont on September 28, 1929, the eighth child of ten children of Almon and Philomene (Bourgeois) Wheelock. Betty always spoke lovingly of her parents and brothers and sisters and she had many happy memories of growing up in Vermont; she was happy to tell anyone she met that it was "the prettiest state in the Union." She would recall winters of "drawing" figures with her ice skates on the frozen pond and pouring maple syrup over clean snow to make snow cones. She often spoke of the tender attentiveness of her railroad engineer father during her childhood bout with rheumatic fever and throughout her life she'd occasionally utter a French-Canadian phrase learned from her mother. She often remembered the death of her younger sister Harriette due to pneumonia, and her parents' deep sorrow. She was forever proud of graduating from St. Johnsbury Academy.

Marriage to Larry (Bill) Davis eventually brought Betty (and her feisty New England spirit) to Rochester. Her greatest fulfilment was found in her 66-year marriage to Bill and in raising their six children. While Bill worked shift work at Kodak, Betty created a loving and comfortable home for the family and for all who would enter her door – including 38 foster babies whom she loved like her own for the weeks or months they were with her (and, indeed, forever)! Betty was an excellent seamstress and skilled at knitting and crocheting. When a foster baby would go home, they would always be dressed in something she'd made to reflect the season: in a big Christmas stocking or a green St. Patrick's Day bow. Betty was a meticulous housekeeper; the family lived simply but the table was always set beautifully, there were always fresh baked goods and delicious food for family and guests. As children moved to other places, Betty and Bill enjoyed driving around the country to visit them; they liked to stop at parks and historical sites. She made many "friends she never met" across the country as she pursued her genealogical research. Memories of Betty would be incomplete without recalling her love of Bingo and the joy she felt when singing. Grandchildren have taught their own children "I Can Sing A Rainbow" and "Gray Squirrel" and in recent years, when many things seemed to lose their importance, it still brought her joy to sing "Red River Valley" and "America."

Elizabeth spent the last eight years of her life in the attentive and affectionate care of the staff in the Memory Care Unit at the Edna Tina Wilson Living Center who appreciated Elizabeth and the story of her life and always made sure her baby doll was wrapped in her lap.