Mrs. Ida Margaret (Slipp) Bovatt was born in Lower Cambridge, New Brunswick, Canada on September 27, 1925, Ida was eldest of the eight children of Arthur Leigh and Gertrude E. (Davis) Slipp. Her early years were spent in New Brunswick, attending schools there, working on the large, Slipp Family Farm and graduating from the St. John General Hospital School of Nursing in 1947. She went on to practice nursing in St. Stephen, New Brunswick and did post graduate work at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec where she later became Head Nurse of the Obstetric Surgical Unit. In 1952, Ida moved to Hardwick, Vermont where she became Matron of the Hardwick Hospital. She also worked part time for nursing homes in East Hardwick and Morrisville. Ida later became the school nurse for the towns of Hardwick, Hazen, Woodbury, Greensboro, Craftsbury and Wolcott. She provided care for the members of those communities for many years. Ida was also a very active member of the Hardwick Rescue Squad and was the head of Hardwick Civil Defense. On September 19, 1953, she was married to Joseph Rudolph Bovatt. Together they raised their family in Hardwick and were members of the United Church of Hardwick. After moving to St. Albans 15 years ago they attended the St. Albans Bay United Methodist Church. In addition to her husband of 57 years, Ida is survived by 2 daughters, Lisa E. Bovatt of Swanton and Donna L. and her husband, Dr. Peter Burke of St. Albans; 5 siblings, Marion Morrison of St. John, New Brunswick, Edna Bridges of White's Cove, New Brunswick, Charles Slipp and his wife Frances of Robison's Point New Brunswick, George Slipp and his wife Thelma of Cody's, New Brunswick and Doris Sanborne and her husband Richard of Bangor, Maine; 3 grandchildren, Matthew Joseph Burke of Troy, New York, Jason Thomas Burke of Columbia, Pennsylvania and Anastasia Fay Burke of St. Albans and many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to her parents, Ida was predeceased by an infant son, Leigh in March of 1956, by a brother, Fred Slipp and a sister, Leigha Pepe. A Celebration of Ida's life will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 5 PM from the Church of the Rock, St. Albans. Officiating will be Reverend Elizabeth Griffin, Pastor of the St. Albans Bay United Methodist Church and Pastor Roland Ludlum. Interment services will be held on Monday, August 8, 2011 at 9 AM in the family lot in Highgate Center Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Church of the Rock on Saturday prior to the funeral from 4-5 PM. Gifts in Ida's memory may be made to the St. Albans Bay United Methodist Church in care of Donna McWilliams, P.O. Box 116, St. Albans Bay, VT 05481 Arrangements are under the direction of the Kidder Memorial Home, 89 Grand Ave., Swanton. . Mrs. Ida M. Bovatt, 85, a resident of Hardwick for many years and for the past 15 years of St. Albans, passed awayTuesday evening surrounded by her family at her Potter Avenue home.