Betty June Ott, age 96, a resident of St. Charles, IL, went to be with the Lord on Monday, October 19, at home. She was born June 15, 1919 in Galesburg, Illinois to Peter and Mabel Knutson.

Betty lived in Chicago Heights most of her life. She graduated from Bloom Township High School. She married her childhood sweetheart, Howard E. Ott, on December 7, 1941. He soon served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was shot down and taken as a prisoner of war in Germany. After the war, they raised three children in Chicago Heights.

Betty's parents came to the United States from Sweden and she was proud of her Swedish heritage. She had a real heart to pray for her family and community. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Chicago Heights, school PTA, and other neighborhood clubs. After Howard's death in 1965, she continued to live in her home until moving to live with her daughters in later years.

She is survived by her two children, Thomas (Cathy) Ott of Homewood, and Tammy (Dave) Aardema of St. Charles, four grandchildren, Derek (Veronika) Ott, Zachary (Candice) Ott, Kristen (Geoff) VanLeeuwen and David Aardema, four great-grandchildren, Sophia and Eliana Ott, Madeleine Ott and Grant VanLeeuwen. She is also survived by her son-in-law, Paul Truax. She was preceded in death by her husband and her daughter, Terry Ott Truax.

A visitation will be held Monday, October 26, from 10:00 until 10:30 a.m.; service held from 10:30 until 11:15 a.m at Wheaton Bible Church , 27W500 North Ave., West Chicago, IL Interment will follow at Beverly Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Samaritans Purse , PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.