Bettye Holland Crawford, returned to her Spiritual Home on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, while peacefully sleeping in her bed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bettye was born in Opelousas, Louisiana on March 1, 1927, to Juanita Holland Clay and Charles Clay.
Although Bettye’s mother died in childbirth, Bettye was adopted by her mother’s brother and his wife, Castle Overstreet and Eva Rathburn Holland. Subsequently, Castle Overstreet and Eva brought Betty’s two older sisters, Helen and Lee Alice, to live with them in Shreveport and Minden. Their happy, loving home was completed with the birth of their baby sister, Peggy.
Bettye attended Byrd High School in Shreveport and received her high school diploma from Minden High School in 1944.
She attended Centenary College in Shreveport and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, was the Recording Secretary/Historian of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, earned her maroon jacket in the Centenary Chorus under its beloved choir director, Cheezy Boran. Bettye graduated from Centenary, with honors, in 1948, and thereafter was a first grade teacher at A. C. Steere in Shreveport.
In 1950, she met and married Wayne Scott Crawford and they moved to Minden, Louisiana, where they raised their three children, Scott, Douglas and Sally.
Bettye was a member of the Minden Junior Service League and taught the two year old Sunday School class at First United Methodist Church in Minden for 30 years.
Bettye was a member of the Minden Garden Club, and participated in bible study and book club.
Bettye’s immortal Soul is now reunited with her family and friends who predeceased her, including, her husband, Wayne Scott Crawford and two of her sisters, Helen Poe, Lee Alice Finnell and her brothers-in-law, Edgar Allen “Jack” Poe and Lewis Finnell, her parents, Juanita and Charles Clay, Castle and Eva Holland.
She is survived by her children Scott Holland Crawford, Douglas Wayne Crawford, Sarah Elizabeth Crawford Olson, her son-in-law Michael Olson, her sister, Peggy Padgham and brother- in-law John Padgham, her grandchildren, Catherine Holland Crawford, Matthew Wesley Chambers, Wendy Kelly, Summer Holland Crawford Vandingo, husband Joe, Castle Nathan Scott Crawford and Caroline Elizabeth Olson, and great grandchildren John Wesley Chambers and Mary Huntington Chambers; nieces and nephews James Poe and his wife, Debra, Paula Poe O’Neil, and her husband, Larry, Mary Juanita Poe, the Reverend Eugene Finnell and his wife, Janet, Andrew Finnell and his wife, Susan, John Holland Padgham and his wife, Cyndi, Steven Marsh Padgham, the Reverend Juliet Spencer and her husband, Jimmy, and many great nieces and nephews.
In order to keep our family, friends and loved ones safe, there will be no memorial gathering at this time. We do ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, and we ask that you comply with social distancing guidelines in order to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
Memorials May be made to First Methodist Church of Minden, LA in Bettye’s name or your charity of choice.