Betty Louise Parker
Betty Louise Parker, 76, a longtime resident of Lanett, AL, passed away January 10, 2022 in Friendswood, TX. Betty was born December 17, 1945 in Dothan, AL to Doris and Sidney Bell.
Betty was a graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in education. Betty returned to Auburn University 20 years later to earn a master’s degree in library science. She loved to cheer on the Auburn Tigers. She spent almost 40 years teaching and loving kids in the library in the Tennessee and Alabama public school systems. Betty also enjoyed serving in the church library as a member of First Baptist Church in Lanett, AL.
Betty was talented with her needlework in both crocheting and cross stitch. She loved to read, work puzzles and was an avid fan of Jeopardy. Betty enjoyed creating collections which ranged from books, teddy bears, Lilliput Lane and American Girl (for her granddaughters and nieces)
Betty is preceded in death by her parents and brother, Ronnie Bell.
Betty leaves behind her loving husband of almost 55 years, Stewart Parker III; sons: Stewart Parker IV (Lisa) of Pearland, TX, Sidney Parker of Vero Beach, FL, and William Parker( Susan) of Warrior, AL.
Betty loved her eight grandchildren: Chris (Amber), Joseph, Victoria, Mackenzie, Isabella, Dakota, Jessica and Sydney. Betty is also survived by her sister Bonnie Berry (Marshall) of Norfolk, VA; nieces, a nephew, and their families.
Her husband requests that in lieu of a memorial service, please remember Betty as you knew her.
Stewart, our prayers for you and the family. David and I will always remember Betty with fondness. You and she were a sweet part of our lives when we lived in Lanett and were in church with you. Our deepest sympathy. Susan Walls
Betty was a delight to work with and a very organized and loving teacher! May God comfort her family!
*I remember Betty singing in the choir at Lanett First Baptist Church. She was soft spoken, smart, and had the most beautiful hair. Praying for the family and sorry for your loss 🙏🏻
Stewart and family, we are thinking of all of you and praying for you. Betty was a sweet, accomplished lady. I enjoyed being with her in Sunday school and women’s missionary group. With love, Jane Ashley
David and I have enjoyed the time spent with Betty and Stewart. It was a joy that we shared grandchildren. She always seemed so proud of her family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stewart and family.
Stewart, I am so sorry to hear this! Betty was a wonderful person! Prayers for you and your family!
Kiley, Kerri and Andrew Allen
Stewart, I am so sorry to hear this! Betty was a wonderful person! Prayers for you and your family!
STEWART please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Betty was a wonderful person and know she will be missed.
Farewell to my big sister, she was the best!
When I was growing up, Betty, 11 years older than me, kind of my second mom, did so many loving and fun things with me; from sharing activities and books from her Elementary Education classes, letting me help serve at a banquet at the university, to taking me on one date with her and Stewart. I think they were babysitting me and wanted to go to a movie downtown. Stewart didn’t have a car that day and rumours are that I wanted to be paid to walk downtown with them. I had the best dressed Barbie dolls with homemade clothes sewn by my mother and Betty and even designer hats. We made them to be in the flower arrangements at a fashion show and banquet, making them Barbie doll size to give to me after the banquet.
Later, Rebecca and Michelle, my daughters, had incredible crocheted outfits for their Barbie dolls from Aunt Betty, along with many other special activities and gifts, when she was “practicing” with them to be a grandmother. I think that her grandchildren feel that she later did a superb job as a grandmother!
Speaking of crocheting, all of her family was blessed by beautiful crocheted blankets, bedspreads, scarves, and more! Her version of the Sophie’s Universe bedspread, made from a pattern available in weekly segments online with people crocheting it all around the world, was the most beautiful crocheted piece that I have ever seen with so many unique and gorgeous stitches, many forming 3-D flowers, leaves, and other patterns. When I wanted to learn to crochet better a few years ago, I spent a week at Betty’s and was tutored by Betty and fed by Stewart. It was great.
There are so many wonderful memories! Just a few are: weekend visits when Stewart, Sid, and Will were growing up (then known as Stew, Sidney, and William); jigsaw puzzles and chatting with Betty and Mother many times over the years; seeing the Country Bear Jamboree over and over with Betty and Stewart and Mark; Betty calling me whenever Auburn was playing on a TV channel I could get and then calling and playing War Eagle every time they scored. Remember “Got a second?”
And there was the Lilliput Lane collecting. I gave Betty 3 pieces from the United Kingdom gift shop at Epcot Center. These were for her Master’s degree, her birthday, and her Christmas present. A collector was born! She got an annual membership and got me one too for years. She sent me notes “To my LL agent” to discuss her collection, share her collection database, and give me instructions on what she needed for me to do for her with pieces only available in the UK and at the Lilliput Lane fairs happening in the UK. When she and Stewart came to the UK, we visited many of the actual buildings that her pieces were modeled on and went to the small factory for Lilliput Lane where we had a tour and met the owner and creator, David Tate, and she had him sign the many pieces that she bought that day. I remember the last special piece I gave her was the one designed for the Queen’s Jubilee, her 60th year as queen, in 2012.
As Betty’s family expanded and she had more and more people to bless, she printed labels for everybody with their name and occasion and she would find gifts throughout the year and label them ready for Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries. She and Stewart gave elephants, Precious Moments, American Girl dolls, a kayak, tools, food, and much much more! So thoughtful! So generous! And they enjoyed it so much!
I was able to take Marshall to visit Betty and Stewart a couple of years ago when we started dating. Betty was glad for us to have found each other. And I’m so glad he got to meet them. Connections.
Thank you to our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus for my sister. Thank you for her big heart and the way that she blessed her family, her friends, her co-workers, her students, and others over the years. She will be missed! I will miss her! So glad she is home with you now, no more suffering of any kind, in that special place that you prepared for her. Hallelujia!
We are so sad to hear of Betty’s passing. We couldn’t have asked for better friends when we served together at Lanett First Baptist than Stewart and Betty. Nick will always have a special place in his heart for “Miss Betty” as she often secretly contributed to his Noah’s Ark collection. She was a special lady and was loved by many. Praying for her sweet family in these days. Much love to you all!
I am so saddened by this news. I did not know she had passed until I was going through my Mom’s friends list on Facebook, and I was so glad they had become FB friends because of their love for similar games. I clicked on Mrs. Parker’s profile and saw she had passed in January. I worked with Mrs. Parker at Meadowlane Elementals School for many years. She was such an amazing person. I loved working with her. She was funny, smart, and could speak her mind. She was always drinking her diet shakes. Although we lost touch, the memories Will live on 💕