Few women of New Haven have been so closely and prominently associated with those public activities which constitute uplifting forces in the world's work as has Mrs. Berry Lee Mott, the former president of the Connecticut Congress of Mothers, an active church worker and prominent club woman. In her maidenhood Sadie Frederika Bentley, she was born in Goshen, Connecticut, June 10, 1861; and in the paternal line is descended from George Bentley, one of the early settlers of Stonington, Connecticut, of 1638. Her father, Courtland Wheeler Bentley, was born in Stonington, devoted his life to teaching and to farming and passed away July 30, 1890, at the age of fifty-nine years. His wife, Anna (Stanton) Bentley, was a daughter of Jesse Stanton and a direct descendant of Thomas Stanton, who settled in Stonington in 1636 and was official interpreter for the Indians. Mrs. Bentley was a lady of liberal education and was a capable teacher in the public schools of Sharon, her native town. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bentley were devoted members of the Baptist church. The latter passed away April 10, 1888, at the age of forty-nine years.

Their daughter, Sadie F. Bentley, was educated in the Goshen Academy and she, too, took up the profession of teaching, to which she devoted twelve years in the public schools of Connecticut. On the 21st of May, 1890, she became the wife of Berry Lee Mott, of New Haven, and in the fall of that year became a resident of this city. She united with the Calvary Baptist church soon after her arrival, thus becoming identified with one of the strongest and most effective church organizations of the city. In its work she has since taken active, helpful and prominent part and on special occasions has addressed its audiences from the pulpit. For five years she was president of the Ladies' Benevolent Society of the church and she has been connected with many of the movements in which women in recent years have taken active part. She was one of the early members of the New Haven Mothers' Club, now the New Haven Women's Club, affiliated with the Connecticut Congress of Mothers and was secretary of the latter organization for three years. In 1910 she was elected to its presidency and remained the executive head of the organization for five years. On the 15th of March, 1915, she was presented by members of the Congress of Mothers with a beautiful gold watch in recognition of her valuable service. She is now vice president of the Ladies' Benevolent Society and is a life member of both the state and national Congress of Mothers. She has been a delegate to many conventions of the organization, has delivered many public addresses and has been received by both wives of President Wilson. Her work has brought her in contact with many of the greatest men and women of the country, who recognize in her one with whom association means expansion and elevation. Mrs. Mott is also a member of the national organization of the Daughters of the American Revolution and of the local chapter, known as Mary Clapp Wooster Chapter, of which she has been regent, tilling the office in 1915 and 1916 and acting as its representa-tive at the national convention in Washington both years. In 1915 she was one of the two women appointed on the charter revision committee of New Haven by Mayor Rice, who thus recognized her devotion to civic welfare and to the highest standards of citizenship—standards which found expression in practical work for their accomplishment. Mrs. Mott has also been instrumental in the upbuilding of clubs for girls in industry, especially the New Haven Girls' Club, which has a home at No. 14 Trumbull street. Her name is closely associated with many charitable and philantropic projects and she is constantly reaching out a helping hand where aid is needed for the physical, mental or moral stimulus of the individual.

By her marriage Mrs. Mott became the mother of one son, Edwin Bentley Mott, who passed away December 2, 1905, when in his twelfth year. Mrs. Mott has always been a great lover of children and her work has been prompted by this love. On taking up child welfare work she read extensively along that line, studied the question from the personal standpoint and is considered an authority upon child welfare work. She was the eldest of a family of eight and lost her mother when young. Upon her, therefore, devolved many of the mother's duties, awakening strongly in her the mother instinct. To know and understand child life, to give every child its rightful heritage—the possibility for the development of the best within it—has become her life work. She has never accepted remuneration for her labors, paying all of her expenses personally as she has traveled from place to place, addressing audiences concerning the proper care and development of the child. While her own income is comparatively small, she has devoted a large part of it to public work. Who can measure the influence that she has exerted or count the number of lives made better by her efforts. She has followed the admonition of Robert Browning to "awaken the little seeds of good asleep throughout the world" and who can tell what the harvest shall be. But none question that the world is better for her having lived.