Betty Jo (Kennedy) Helms-McCright
By: Import User
Updated: October 13, 2007
Betty Jo (Kennedy) Helms-McCright passed away Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, at her Rotan residence.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at the First Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Cottonwood Cemetery under the direction of Weathersbee-Ray Funeral Home of Rotan. Visitation is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the funeral home.
Betty Helms-McCright was born to Parker and Lota Kennedy on July 13, 1930, in Stonewall County. She married Charlie Joe Helms on Feb. 8, 1949, and was a loving wife, mother and homemaker. Charlie Jo passed away in 1986. Betty married Kenneth McCright in 1988 and later helped take care of him through a lengthy illness until his passing in 1997.
Betty spent her whole life giving to the people she loved. She was one of the strongest women you’d ever meet. As her grandson described her, “She’s the glue that keeps our family together.” Betty had many loves in her life. She was an avid collector. “Antiquin’ ” was her favorite thing to do, and she has passed that joy down to her children and grandchildren. She loved her girlfriends, their dinners, trips and especially their card games — of course, she loved to win. Betty was a wonderful cook. If she wasn’t making you a whole meal at her home, she was baking cookies, cakes or candy to take to you. She was always ready to make someone their favorite “Nannie” meal or treat. Betty also loved the garden, canning fresh vegetables and making jellies and jams. The most endeared love of Betty’s life has been her family, and the greatest joy has been her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Betty was a “hands-on” grandmother. She was always ready to stay with the kids or have them stay at her house, but never had a problem straightening them out when needed. She loved watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren play sports and rarely missed a game. Anyone that showed up at Betty’s was always greeted with an open door. She loved having a house full of family and friends and always had time to visit.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, a precious granddaughter (Haley Helms, 1998) and an infant grandson (Casey Joe Helms). Betty is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Becky Helms of Seguin and Clay and Gwen Helms of Rotan; two daughters and a son-in-law, Jodie Grisham of Abilene and Cindy Day Mims and Bobby Mims of San Angelo; a sister, Tennie Cade of Rotan; 10 grandchildren, Marty and Macky Helms, Jenny Goodwin, Jamie Grisham, Julie Whisenhut, Luke and Jake Day, and Sunny and Hunter Helms; five great-grandchildren, Shayden and Leggin Aaron, Karlee and Kallan Goodwin, and Madison Day; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Pat and Wayne Helms. Pallbearers will be Marty and Hunter Helms, Luke and Jake Day, Ty Dawes and Kaleb Goodwin. Honorary pallbearers will be Macky, Mark and John Wayne Helms, and Clay Cade.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Haley Helms Memorial Scholarship Fund at 112 N. McKinley (C/O Rotan ISD), Rotan, TX 79546.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at the First Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Cottonwood Cemetery under the direction of Weathersbee-Ray Funeral Home of Rotan. Visitation is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the funeral home.
Betty Helms-McCright was born to Parker and Lota Kennedy on July 13, 1930, in Stonewall County. She married Charlie Joe Helms on Feb. 8, 1949, and was a loving wife, mother and homemaker. Charlie Jo passed away in 1986. Betty married Kenneth McCright in 1988 and later helped take care of him through a lengthy illness until his passing in 1997.
Betty spent her whole life giving to the people she loved. She was one of the strongest women you’d ever meet. As her grandson described her, “She’s the glue that keeps our family together.” Betty had many loves in her life. She was an avid collector. “Antiquin’ ” was her favorite thing to do, and she has passed that joy down to her children and grandchildren. She loved her girlfriends, their dinners, trips and especially their card games — of course, she loved to win. Betty was a wonderful cook. If she wasn’t making you a whole meal at her home, she was baking cookies, cakes or candy to take to you. She was always ready to make someone their favorite “Nannie” meal or treat. Betty also loved the garden, canning fresh vegetables and making jellies and jams. The most endeared love of Betty’s life has been her family, and the greatest joy has been her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Betty was a “hands-on” grandmother. She was always ready to stay with the kids or have them stay at her house, but never had a problem straightening them out when needed. She loved watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren play sports and rarely missed a game. Anyone that showed up at Betty’s was always greeted with an open door. She loved having a house full of family and friends and always had time to visit.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, a precious granddaughter (Haley Helms, 1998) and an infant grandson (Casey Joe Helms). Betty is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Becky Helms of Seguin and Clay and Gwen Helms of Rotan; two daughters and a son-in-law, Jodie Grisham of Abilene and Cindy Day Mims and Bobby Mims of San Angelo; a sister, Tennie Cade of Rotan; 10 grandchildren, Marty and Macky Helms, Jenny Goodwin, Jamie Grisham, Julie Whisenhut, Luke and Jake Day, and Sunny and Hunter Helms; five great-grandchildren, Shayden and Leggin Aaron, Karlee and Kallan Goodwin, and Madison Day; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Pat and Wayne Helms. Pallbearers will be Marty and Hunter Helms, Luke and Jake Day, Ty Dawes and Kaleb Goodwin. Honorary pallbearers will be Macky, Mark and John Wayne Helms, and Clay Cade.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Haley Helms Memorial Scholarship Fund at 112 N. McKinley (C/O Rotan ISD), Rotan, TX 79546.
