Billie Roth

WOODINVILLE, Wash. — Bertha "Billie" Roth of Woodinville died Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Jefferson House Memory Care Community in Kirkland, Washington. She was 97.

Billie, as she was known to her family and friends, was born July 14, 1925, in Joe, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Ambrose and Tenna Shelton Norris. She married Milton Roth of Wittenberg, Missouri, on May 11, 1946.

She is survived by her daughters, Vicky Hardy of Worcester, Massachusetts, Ellen (Don) Ladwig of St. Charles, Missouri, and Carol and Rebecca Roth of Woodinville; grandchildren, Laura (Kevin) Sokoloski of Normandy Park, Washington, Amy (Hans) Hentschel of Snellville, Georgia, and Christopher (Jennifer) Ng-Hardy of Newton, Massachusetts; and great-grandchildren, Jacob Tucker, David and Ryan Sokoloski, Aidan and Grace Hentschel, and Everett and Esme Ng-Hardy.

Billie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Milton, in January 2014; and her granddaughter, Leslie Tucker, in January 2020. She had 11 siblings, all deceased.

Billie's life was an interesting journey from the mountains of North Carolina to the bayou country of Louisiana, to Cape Girardeau, eventually spending the last 21 years in the Pacific Northwest in Woodinville outside of Seattle. She grew up deep in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, went to a Presbyterian girls boarding school in Hot Springs, North Carolina, (her mother died when she was 10); and then moved to Louisiana to finish high school in 1943.

After Billie graduated from business college, she worked for Texas Oil in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she met Milton, who was stationed there with the Navy. She married him nine days later! After Milton was mustered out of the Navy and the birth of their first daughter, Vicky, they moved first to Rockford, Illinois, and then to Charleston, Missouri, and finally settled in Cape Girardeau. They lived in Cape Girardeau for almost 60 years, where they raised three more daughters, Ellen, Carol and Becky. In 2002, Billie, Milton and Becky moved to Woodinville to live with their daughter, Carol.

Billie worked, after all the girls were in school, at the Missouri State Liquor License office and then at the Missouri State Employment office, both in Cape Girardeau. Both Billie and Milton were very active in their Lutheran church -- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She was also a busy community volunteer for many years, with a food pantry in Cape Girardeau, the PTAs for each daughter, and service on the Missouri State Board for Persons with Disabilities. Her community work was recognized when she was chosen as the Bell Telephone Community Volunteer of the Year for the Southeast Missouri Region in 1993, and when she and Milton were named the Marian Charities Volunteers of the Year the same year.

Billie will be remembered by family and friends for her cooking, especially her Southern fried chicken and potato salad and her epic apple butter, which was actually featured in the Southeast Missourian newspaper's food section. Her fried catfish was the highlight of many a summer dinner. She eventually compiled all her recipes into a family cookbook, which has been handed down through three generations. She loved canning fruits and vegetables, making jams, jellies and even her own ketchup from the garden that Milton grew every year. In her spare time, she loved to read, sew and do needlepoint while listening to her favorite country singers. Trips to Branson, Missouri, to hear Billie and Milton's favorite performers was a summer highlight.

After Billie and Milton both retired, they traveled extensively with their daughter, Becky, in the United States. They visited almost every national park and monument and state. They also loved freshwater fishing and traveling to Hawaii, where they spent some of their most enjoyable vacations. Going to Florida to visit friends and California to visit their daughters, who were living in the Bay area for a time, were also on their travel itineraries.

A celebration of Billie's life will be held on the top of Max Patch Mountain in North Carolina in the fall, where her and Milton's ashes will be scattered together.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in her name to your favorite charitable organization.