Betty Jane Converse

Betty Jane Wilmot Converse, 77, passed away on April 23, 2020 in Laconia, NH.

She was born in Lebanon, NH. to Florence Gertrude and Earl Roscoe Wilmot on July 4, 1942. She lived in Lyme for a few years and then she moved to Plymouth for six years. She went to Kindergarten and halfway through fifth grade. She moved to Center Harbor area where she finished fifth grade and went through 8th grade. After that she went to Meredith High School. She married Rudolph Converse on June 14, 1958. She was going to take a year off but a year later, she gave birth to her first son. She did go back many years later and completed her GED. She was so proud that she passed the test without even studying.

After living one year in Massachusetts so her husband could go to college, they lived in the Center Harbor and Holderness area. In 1973, they wanted to try their dream of farming and moved to Minnesota. For 12 years they enjoyed their dream of farming. In 1985, they felt they needed to return to New Hampshire to take care of their aging parents.

She always was a faithful wife for 61 years. She was willing to be adventurous with my dad. She would follow him anywhere! She loved the farm and loved being out on the tractor doing field work. She cherished those years. When God called them back to New Hampshire, she always dreamed of going back. But being obedient to the Lord, she was able to lead both her mother and her father to the Lord before they passed away. What a blessing that was for her.

One of the things we admire so much about her is that she took her marriage vows so seriously. She said until death do, we part, in sickness and in health, she cared for her husband for over ten years. She had days she was frustrated but she never gave up and allowed him to stay at home until the end. She was so heartbroken after he passed because she missed him so much.

She loved Jesus with her whole heart. When she was in Plymouth, a neighbor invited her to church to the Methodist Church. She started attending. When she moved to Center Harbor, she continued to go to a church over there. Later, she started attending the Advent Christian Church in Meredith (now Cavalry Bible). They had a movie night and offered everyone who came a candy bar. That was a big deal to her, so she went to get the candy bar. She asked Jesus in her heart that night. She became a big part of the church after that. She has served the church in so many ways. She has taught Sunday School, Children's Church, Women's ministry, prison ministry, and so many things over the years. After they had moved back to New Hampshire, she started volunteering at the church to do different things. She LOVED being at the church and helping people. It worked up to being at least 40 hours a week that she would serve. After a few years, they started giving her a gift of money for all that she did until it finally worked into a fulltime job. She loved being the office manager and continued doing so for 25 years. She loved creating things and took such pride in her work. She was an amazing counselor and loved to help anyone she could. She also served as the Secretary for the New Hampshire Conference for many years. She was not happy when she had to quit to take care of her husband.

She loved horses and couldn't wait to get to heaven and ride a white palomino horse next to my dad. She loves spending time with her family. She loved fall and the beautiful fall colors. She loved ice cream! She would take some butter pecan, rocky road, or anything chocolate!

She was an amazing mother. She would sacrifice anything for her kids. She often went without so she could give what she had to her family. She always said she never had much, but she was content with what she had. She didn't always give us a ton of advice, but when she did you listened because it would be good. Her famous advice of the last two years was "one step at a time" or one day at a time. She has taken that literally for the past two years.

Two years ago, they didn't think she had long to live and she said that God gave her a promise that she would live. She is such a fighter and such a strong woman. She fought hard and she did beat it. She continued to fight through open heart surgery. Then the cancer came back, she kept saying we proved them wrong once we can do it again. But she said God didn't give her that promise again. She loved her family so much and was so torn between being with her husband or being with her family. She is now riding her beautiful white horse. She wants to see all of you again. She wants you to know that the only way that can happen is if you ask Jesus in your hearts.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Rudolph Kenneth Converse, her parents, Florence and Earl Wilmot, her brothers, Roscoe, Raymond, and her sister Gail.

She is survived by her sister Nancy Granger and her brother Gene (Diane) Wilmot, her six sons, Mark (Brenda), Timothy, Allen (Susan), Peter (Meghan), Stephen, and Jonathon, her daughter, Kathy (Michael) McCartney, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A private graveside service will be held in the Meredith Village Cemetery, Meredith, at the family convenience.

Mayhew Funeral Home and Crematorium, in Meredith and Plymouth, are assisting the family. www.mayhewfuneralhomes.com