Betty Hawthorne Whitaker

Betty Hawthorne Whitaker, passed away March 16, 2024. She was born down the road from where she resided for the past 30+ years, she was however, from Texas Northeastern corner and proudly raised in “The Edwards Bottoms”, near the Titus County community of Sugar Hill. Betty’s love of her life, David, passed away September 22, 2009. She is survived by her one and only child, Charles L. Whitaker, his wife Sarah Reeder Whitaker and “The Girls”, Ashlee Ruby and Brandon and Jessica Lynn. Born in the middle of the great depression, Betty’s family farmed but mainly worked in the East Texas and Permian Basin oil fields. She was one of nine children, 5 girls and 4 boys. She lost her brother Dudley when he was 14 from kidney disease and brother Fred when he was 16 from an oilfield accident. Her other siblings all deceased, W.A. Hawthorne who made Odessa home, Grady Hawthorne of Longview, Lottie Via of Talco, Ruby Adams of Leveretts Chapel, Ophelia Henry of Palestine, Laura Mae Robinson of Fort Worth. She is also preceded in death by nephews James Via and wife Jerry Ann, Mickey Via, nieces Shelba and Jo Baby from Haughton, Louisiana. She is survived by Mickey’s wife Martha and nephew Bill Adams who loved to visit Betty on his way to his farm in Normangee and great niece Tammy Walker. They were all very fond of Betty and the feeling was mutual. As a child growing up in rural Titus County, life was hardscrabble but enjoyable and exciting. She would tell stories of riding horses along White Oak Creek. She attended elementary school in Wilkinson community and later Talco public schools from where she graduated in 1951. She gained her nursing degree and worked at Titus County Memorial Hospital. When David gained the Elementary Principal’s position at Forney ISD, the family uprooted from Talco and moved to Forney. Betty would work for 15 years at the Kaufman Hospital. After Charles graduated from high school, David became Superintendent at Canton ISD and Canton was their new home. Betty worked as a Librarian and still nursed. She also loved working for friends at First Monday. David would later gain the school superintendent position with Fairfield ISD and away they went to Fairfield and Freestone County in 1983. David retired from there and Betty continued to work for the Fairfield schools until retirement in 2007. She was an active member of Fairfield’s First Baptist Church and for years sang in the choir. Her hobbies were working in her yard and watching Maverick Basketball and Longhorn Football. She loved following Fairfield High School Football and the Girl’s basketball team. She was loving but opinionated and put her family first. Birthdays, Christmas holidays were extra special events for Charles, Sarah and the girls. She lived a long and full life and will be greatly missed. She was extra special. Visitation will be 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Thursday, March 21, 2024, at Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home. Celebration of life will be 11:00 am Friday, March 22, 2024, at First Baptist Church of Fairfield with Pastor Leon Thomas and Andrew Wroth officiating. Interment will be at Kemp Cemetery at 3:00pm. Pallbearers will be Dennis Issacs, Kenneth Tidrow, Ralph Lane, John Taylor, Halley Richmond, David Lott, Gerald Green Stephen Ponder. Honorary pallbearer will be Brandon Rice.

Betty Hawthorne Whitaker

December 7, 1932 - March 16, 2024