Betty Lou Waller Bumgarner
1931 - 2019
Betty took off on her greatest adventure on December 23, 2019. George, her husband of 53 years, went ahead of her on this journey, and we fully believe that she is overjoyed to see him and many other family and friends in the presence of Jesus.
Betty was born in Kinston, North Carolina, and she met the love of her life, George, when they were in college in Raleigh. They were married and had two small boys before moving to Grand Prairie, Texas, where they added two girls and built the home Betty lived in for over 50 years. Betty loved family, cooking, and travel (and flowers, and animals, and hummingbirds, and shoes... ). She also loved people and consistently put the comfort of others before herself. If you were happy, she was happy!
Always looking forward to new places, new faces, and old friends, Betty did her best to see the world while she was in it. She and George traveled in their motor-home for many years, and Betty continued to enjoy adventures with her kids and friends while living in New Mexico with her eldest daughter, Jacque, before finally settling in Tulsa near her youngest, Jill, and her three granddaughters.
In line with her lifelong passion for cooking and recipes, she continued to talk about the preparation of daily meals, as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, through the fog of her illness. She loved reading recipes, planning meals, and making sure everyone who crossed her path had been offered a beverage and a meal.
Her children - Smitty, Mark, Jacque, and Jill, and their spouses - and her grandchildren, Maggie, Hanna, and Riley, will always miss her terribly, but they are thankful, knowing that she is pain-free and full of joy again.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make a donation to www.irongatetulsa.org < http://www.irongatetulsa.org >, www.ntfb.org < http://www.ntfb.org >, or your local food pantry.