Mexico- Marie Elizabeth Eugenie Dawson Law died peacefully at her home on Dec. 27, after a valiant struggle with emphysema and heart disease.

She was born on Feb. 19, 1924, to John Dawson and Alice Roy Dawson in Mexico. She was known as Bet to her family and Betty to her friends. She often reminisced about her ideal childhood with her eight siblings spent playing volleyball, tennis, hide-and-go-seek, and swimming in pools hand-dug by her older brothers in the family brook.

Betty graduated from Mexico High School on June 5, 1941.

On April 27, 1946, she married her John, the love of her life. They enjoyed 60 years of married life together before his death in 2006. Bet and John made raising their four children the focus of their lives, spending family resources on family fun such as boating, skiing and summer vacations at Ocean Park, picnics and cookouts at Center Hill, Screw Auger Falls, the Swift River and at her brother Roy’s house were family affairs with much fun and laughter. She was truly happy as wife, mother and homemaker. She loved the outdoors and spent many happy hours gathering mayflowers, picking blueberries and raspberries. She shared her love of nature with her family.

Bet worked outside the home for several years at the Oxford Cable T.V. office in Rumford, retiring in 1976, to accompany her husband on his dream trip to visit relatives in Scotland. Upon return, she vowed to travel only where John could take her by car. She enjoyed all the years of her husband’s retirement, content to have him by her side.

She also enjoyed gardening, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, knitting, crocheting and reading. She became adept at playing computer games such as gin rummy, canasta and word games. She looked forward each month to her class of 1941 ladies’ luncheon with her local classmates.

Her greatest joy was always her family. From 1968, through this year she hosted the annual Dawson family reunion/Christmas party, which was a highlight of her year. We were lucky to have her with us this year and able to enjoy the package exchange, jokes and stories of Christmases past.

She is survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews; survivors include Rob and Jeannine Law of Rumford and their children, Babette and her son, Ethan, Corene and Neville Christian and their children, Clinton, Melinda and Megan, Dan and Becky Law and their children, Ellen and Jayse, John and Becky Law of Turner and their children, Joey Roebuck, Amy and Dan Goodwin and their children, Zachary and Zander, Patrick Law and his companion, Stephanie and their children, Cody, Thomas, Zoie and Anthony, Mary Law of Mexico and Janet Law and her husband, Norman Young Jr., of Byron. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Pauline Dawson and Ann Dawson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was a special lady and will be missed by all of us.

Bet Law was predeceased by her husband John; her parents, Jack and Alice Dawson; her great-grandson, Isaiah Matthew Glover Law; her siblings, Eunice and her husband, Larry Murphy, Emile Dawson, John Dawson and his wife, Marie, Estelle and her husband, Roger Sabin, Everett Dawson, Janet Dawson Anderson, Roy and Lorraine Dawson and Robert Dawson.

Thank you to Androscoggin Home Health & Hospice for helping her children fulfill our Mom’s final wish to remain at home.