Betty Lou Strother's Obituary
Betty Lou Croft was born August 11, 1928 in La Salle, TX. Her father, Dewyatt Croft, passed away when she was 11 years old, after which her mother, Georgia, moved with Betty, her sister, and three brothers to Mexia, TX.
Betty met Donald Kenneth Strother in Mexia when she was fourteen. The first time she remembered seeing him, he was helping deliver a cabinet to their house, and, she recalled, “He winked at me!” He gave her an engagement ring shortly thereafter.
When she was fifteen, her mother let her quit school and move to Houston where she worked as a waitress at Inter-Urban Pharmacy. Later, she moved to Dallas and worked at La Mode Ladies Ready to Wear Shop until she was seventeen.
Betty and Don were married on December 1, 1945 in Mexia, TX. In 1948, they moved to Pasadena, TX, and in 1952 celebrated the birth of their son Wayne followed by the birth of their daughter Barbara in 1955.
Betty was a loving wife and mother. She loved taking care of horses with her family, gardening, dancing to country music with Don, and spending time outside. She enjoyed a long and happy marriage with Don until he passed away on December 12, 2005.
In her later years, she continued to spend as much time as she could outside if she wasn’t with her family. Betty was known for many things: constantly wiping down her counters and milk cartons, endearing and sometimes perplexing frugality, keeping her freezer stocked with Bluebell for her grandkids, the ability to throw seeds out her back door and turn up with produce, and her hilarious sense of candor.
More than anything, though, Betty was known for how much she loved her family. She is survived by her son Donald Wayne Strother and his wife Mickye; her daughter Barbara Grimes; her grandchildren Kenny Strother and his husband Tad Bertrand, Carolyn Sorensen and her husband Ben, Jared Strother and his wife Elizabeth, Desirée Richardson and her husband Andrew, Cyndy Presley and her husband Ray; her great-grandchildren Riley, Reagan, Leanne, Louri, Emmalynn, Zoé, and Mikayla; her sister-in-law Lynda Stratton and her husband Chris; and many nieces and nephews.
Not one of us could get enough of Betty’s joy, love, and beauty. She was the most wonderful wife, mother, and memaw. We are thankful that she lived a long life of 90 years with love throughout. Betty passed peacefully the morning of January 22, 2019. We miss her dearly.
The family would like to express their deepest thanks to Betty’s nurse Chantelle who visited her every day of her last few months with love and compassion, and we express gratitude to all the other staff at Vantage Hospice.
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