Elizabeth Bowes

Elizabeth A. “Bette” Bowes, 95, died Friday, April 10, 2026. Bette was a cherished member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Frazer and will be greatly missed by her church family and many dear friends.

Bette was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on October 29, 1930, and grew up in Ireland and England. After leaving the army where she served in kitchens and drove trucks, she traveled to the United States in October 1953. She first worked as a nanny in Long Island and later in the insurance industry, including for a firm based at the World Trade Center, which she watched being built in the late 1960s and early 70s. She lived for many years in the New York/New Jersey area and became a loyal New York Giants fan, attending all their home and away games for years.

When Bette moved to Pennsylvania, she quickly found Covenant Presbyterian, where she was welcomed and immediately recruited into the choir. She also was a longtime member of the Covenant Quilters and continued attending their weekly gatherings even after she was no longer able to quilt.

After coming to Pennsylvania, Bette joyfully pursued her lifelong passion of writing, publishing two novels and several volumes of poetry composed by herself and friends. For many years, she hosted a regular group of like-minded friends who loved poetry as much as she did.

Her parents and a sister Ellen preceded Bette in death. She is survived by several nieces and nephews in England, and her dearest friend Molly Hughes and the extended Hughes family, who gladly adopted Bette into their fold. Bette and Molly shared many adventures over the years, including mission trips, Meals on Wheels deliveries, Camp Donegal activities, quilting and more. Bette said she never expected to find a friend like Molly. She often referred to Molly’s four sons as her sons, and they loved Bette like a second mom.

During her final years, the Covenant family generously stepped up to help Bette move into assisted living and remained faithful to care for her and ensure she could attend church often. Special thanks to Pastor Alex Becker, John and Penny Hidell and others who helped.

Bette's Funeral (Celebration of her Life) is April 25, 2026 @2pm EST.  For all who can't be there, Bette's service will be livestreamed on covenantfrazer.org/live, which you can also find by going to covenantfrazer.org and choosing "Connect" and then "Livestream", or by searching for Covenant Frazer on Youtube.