Betty (Boyea) Sayles
Betty Jeanne (Boyea) Sayles passed away Dec. 5, 2021 at the age of 97. Daughter of Charles Boyea and Mabel DuBois Boyea, she was born July 19, 1924 in Malone. She was one of 10 children. She was married to Charles Sayles.
Betty was a life member and past president of the Women’s Civic Chamber and a member of the Elks Lodge Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks #1508, where she catered many banquets, parties and Friday night fish fries.
She was an avid bowler and member of the Saranac Lake Adult Center.
She was the owner of Betty’s Restaurant on Berkeley Square. Betty was dubbed a good Samaritan to a band of hungry young college students whose van broke down while on a camping outing and they had no money. She felt they had a sense of honor, so she gave them their choice of anything to eat. Soon after she received a check for the amount of the student’s bill, with a thank you letter. The closing line was: “It is nice to know that there are still individuals that have faith and trust in our young people.” As a result of this, Betty was written up in “This Could Be Your Day,” a paperback book dated 1966.
In 1987, Betty was voted the queen of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, Charles Sayles, and one son, David. She is survived by her daughter Linda Ries (John) of Fern Park, Florida; son Peter (Maureen) Sayles of Saranac Lake; daughter Karen Sides (Tom Clark) of Johnson City, Tennessee; daughter Donna Sayles (Scott Darrah) of Saranac Lake; daughter Barbara Martin (Charles) of Onchiota; and daughter Lisa Fite of Walkersville, Maryland.
She has nine grandchildren, Mari, Nikki, Eric (deceased), David, Charles, Michael, Sara, Julia and Alex; 11 great-grandchildren, one great, great grandchild and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, 20 Church St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983. There will be no calling hours.
Betty will be laid to rest in St. Bernard’s Cemetery next to her husband in the spring 2022. Family and friends wishing to remember Betty Sayles may send memorial contributions to St. Bernard’s School in care of the funeral home.
Family and friends can also share a memory, send a condolence and sign the on-line guestbook at www.fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.