Ila Beatrice (Bea) Withrow, age 88, of Sweet Home died Saturday at Lebanon Community Hospital. She was born in Atoka, Okahoma; the daughter of John and Callie (Woffard) Williams.

Bea earned her teaching certificate and taught school in Oklahoma. She married her lifelong friend and sweetheart, Gilbert Withrow, in 1946. In 1947, they moved to Oregon, where she taught elementary school.

In 1969, she graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor degree in Elementary Education. She retired from teaching first grade at Hawthorne Elementary School in Sweet Home in 1982.

Bea is survived by son, Ben Withrow; daughters, Ila Jean Pitts, Kathy Withrow, and Janet Jones; 11 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; and 6 great, great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert Withrow; parents, John and Callie Williams; 6 brothers, 2 sisters, and 14 half brothers and sisters; granddaughter, Hailey Jones; great-grandson, Ryan Pitts; and great-great grandson, Joseph Gray.

A viewing will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel. A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 25, at Riverside Christian Church, 42855 Green River Drive (off 47th), Sweet Home. A graveside service will follow at Twin Oaks memorial Cemetery on Riverside Drive in Albany.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling services.