Betty Lou Shirley

     Betty Lou Hicks Shirley, 85, Elizabethton went home to be with her Lord Monday, April 8, 2019 at the Johnson City medical Center. Born December 3, 1933 in Johnson City to the late Joseph & Armitta Bowers Hicks. She came to Elizabethton at an early age to live with her Uncle & Aunt: Albert & Grace Hicks. She was a 1952 graduate of Elizabethton High School. Betty was an active member of Calvary Baptist Church, where she was active in the WMU serving as Director and she loved working in Vacation Bible School. She was a homemaker, loved to cook, sew, and go camping and spending winters in Florida. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years: Eddie M. Shirley who passed away January 16, 2018, by a granddaughter, Rachael Whaley, her sisters: Irene Greene and Ada Mae Byrd, her brother: Joe Hicks and a sister-in-law: Betty Jean Shirley.

Survivors include her children: Debra Sanders & husband David, Johnson City, Eddie Martin Shirley II & wife Jane, Knoxville, Keith Shirley & wife Barbara, Kingsport and Diane Whaley & husband Mike, Gray. Eight Grandchildren: Jamie Singer, Aaron McGhee, Andrea Hamilton, John Shirley, Josh Lane, Andrew Whaley, Joey Sanders and Matthew Sanders. Eleven Great Grandchildren: Caroline, Ellie, Max, Kaelynn, Carsen, Henry, Lena, Brook, Jackson, Valeria and Allison. Her Siblings: Charles Hicks, Kingsport, Phyllis Sparks & husband Hartsell, Jonesborough, Kenneth Walker & wife Mabel, Johnson City and Eileen Blevins & husband Ron, Limestone. Several nieces & nephews. Her sister-in-law: Georgia McClain.

Funeral Services will be conducted at 7 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Funeral Chapel with Dr. Joe Sorah and Pastor Steve Pate officiating. Graveside Service and Interment will be at 11 a.m. Friday, April 12, 2019 in Happy Valley Memorial Park with Pastor Jacob Guinn officiating. Music will be provided by Austin Mitchell, Soloist and Tina South, Pianist. Active Pallbearers will be grandsons and a very special friend Jimmy Street. Honorary Pallbearers will be her church family. The family would like to express a special “Thank You” to the staff of Agape Nursing Home and Rehab. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home. Family and friends will assemble at the funeral home at 10:20 a.m. Friday to go to the cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in memory of Mrs Shirley to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, 202 Meadowview Parkway, Suite 100, Kingsport, Tn. 37660 or Calvary Baptist Church, 225 Holly Lane, Elizabethton, Tenn. 37643. Condolences may be sent to the family at our web-site www.memorialfcelizabethton.com.

Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Shirley family