Elizabeth "Betty" Gage, age 85, of 655 Elizabethtown Rd., Ilion (Town of Columbia), died unexpectedly on Saturday, March 26, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center, Utica. On August 5, 1942 she was married to Arthur "Art" Gage at the Millers Mills Church. He died on September 9, 2003. At one time, Betty was a cook at the Mohawk Homestead. She later was employed as a cook at the Folts Home, Herkimer. Betty was a longtime member and Sunday School teacher at the Ilion First Baptist Church for over 40 years, and was a member of the American Baptist Women's Association. She was a member of the Joseph Berberich Hose Co. Auxiliary, WIMAC Rebekah Lodge #516 of Unadilla Forks, Millers Mills Grange, Litchfield Ladies Home Bureau, and Litchfield Senior Citizens. Betty was a volunteer for Catholic Charities and the American Red Cross, and received the Outstanding Contribution Award from the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP). She was an active member in the Southern Herkimer Co. Republican Club, and was a former Girl Scout and Brownie Leader. Betty enjoyed playing bingo in Cedarville and bowling in the Queens of Sports Bowling League in Bridgewater for over 40 years. She was past president of the Herkimer Co. Firemen's Auxiliary. She was a longtime worker at the Annual Turkey Dinners and Chicken Bar-B-Ques in Cedarville. Cooking and helping others was very important to Betty. Survivors include her son, Arthur Gage of Elizabethtown Rd.; her daughters and son-in-law, Susan Rex of Frankfort, Lorri and Mark Ingersoll of Elizabethtown Rd.; five grandchildren, Cecilia, Michael, Timothy and Cassandra Rex, and Noel Newkirk; two great-granddaughters, Noelle Maltais and Gabrielle Moreau; her sisters-in-law, Irene Townsend of Cedarville, and Gloria (Gage) McCarthy of Herkimer; several nieces, nephews, cousins and many, many friends. She was predeceased by her son, Nol, in 1992; her great-granddaughter, Cheyanne Allen; four sisters, Winifred (Beckstead) Elliott, Esther Werthman, Alberta Engells, and Jeanette LaCelle. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at the Applegate & Day Funeral Home, 102 West St., Ilion. Calling hours are Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. The Joseph Berberich Hose Co. Auxiliary Service will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, and the WIMAC Rebekah Lodge Service will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Funeral Home. The family wishes to thank the staff at the MVNH Social Day Care, where Betty had attended for the past two years. In lieu of floral offerings, memorial contributions may be made to the Joseph Berberich Hose Co. in Betty's name. Donation envelopes are available at the Applegate & Day Funeral Home in Ilion. For directions to the funeral home, click the facilities link above.