Betty Betts Conner died October 19, 2023, in Madison, Mississippi, surrounded by her family. The only child of Nell and Cecil Betts, she was born on January 24, 1932, in Concord, NC, and was the apple of her parents’ eyes. She was a 1950 graduate of Clift High School in Opelika, AL, and was the first in her family to attend college, earning her B.A. in Biology in 1954 from Huntingdon College, Montgomery, AL. While at Huntingdon, Betty served as president of her freshman and junior classes. She was elected student body president her senior year, and was selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
After graduating, Betty attended the School of Medical Technology of Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA, and finished in 1955 as a registered medical technician. At Charity, she met her future husband, Dr. Oscar Weir Conner III, and the two were married June 18, 1955 at First Methodist Church in Opelika. They established their home in Jackson, MS, and raised their four daughters there.
Betty was an active and faithful communicant of St. James’ Episcopal Church for over 50 years, where she served as a member of the altar guild, vestry, parish choir, and as a lay reader. She was a graduate and mentor of Education for Ministry, and attended Episcopal Cursillo no. 10 in Chatawa, MS, serving on staff several times afterward. Among her favorite volunteer roles at St. James’ was in service to Stewpot Community Services in Jackson.
Betty’s heart for voluntarism extended beyond the church to numerous civic and cultural organizations. She was president of the Jackson Council PTA from 1973-1975, and served as parenting chairman of the Mississippi Congress of Parents & Teachers, feeling strongly that children should receive comprehensive health education in attaining their goal of becoming responsible adults. She was a Girl Scout troop leader several times over, and served on the Middle Mississippi Girl Scout Council as well as on the board of the YWCA. Betty also served as president of the parent association at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Jackson.
In 1982, Betty enrolled at Millsaps College to complete requirements for teacher certification, and thus began a long career in elementary education. She was a longtime member of the Lower School faculty at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and she cherished her young students, their families, and her colleagues. In 1987, her tenure at St. Andrew’s was interrupted briefly by a 3-year stint in Augsburg, Germany, where the Conners lived while Weir served as Developmental Pediatrician and Chief of the Exceptional Family Member Service at the U.S. Army 34th General Hospital. Betty joined the staff at Augsburg American Elementary School as a second grade teacher, adapting quickly after receiving a contract the day before school was to start. While living in Germany, Betty and Weir enjoyed extensive travel throughout Europe, the highlights of which included a 1989 motorcoach tour of Russia, the falling of the Berlin Wall, and the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, just before their return stateside in 1990.
Betty returned to work at St. Andrew’s, teaching second grade and, ultimately, kindergarten before retiring in May of 2000. Retirement on the small farm that she and Weir shared north of Canton, MS, included maintaining a glorious vegetable garden and gifting its bounty to family and friends. She also resumed her painting hobby, which she had set aside when her children were younger. Having previously studied with Myra Green, John Gaddis, Karl Wolfe, Wyatt Waters, and Perry Ritchie, Betty thoroughly enjoyed several years of instruction with Eleanor Hughes. During this time, she was affiliated with the Mississippi Watercolor Society and the Jackson Watercolor Group, winning several prizes for her paintings. Along with several of her dearest friends, Betty was a charter member of the Reases Book Club. Retirement also provided time for Betty’s myriad other interests, including research into her family’s genealogy, playing bridge, and indulging her dogs with questionable amounts of people food.
Beyond the legacy she left in service to her beloved students and her church, Betty was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was preceded in death by her father, Cecil Lee Betts; mother, Nell Lynch Betts; brother in-law, The Rt. Rev. Dr. George W. Conner; and her granddaughter, Rue Casey. She is survived by her husband, Weir, and their daughters, Amy Conner, Erin Fischer (Michael), Maggie Wender (David), and Kathleen Strickland (Jim); grandchildren Fionn Casey (Melanie), Hayley Fitzgerald (Ryan), Conner Reeves (Erica), Mollie Oller (Josh), Sarah Jane Strickland, and Ivey Strickland; and great-grandchildren Audrey Marrero, Alina Ward, Margot Reeves, Nell Reeves, and Betts Oller.
The family expresses our deep gratitude to Beverly Luckett and Kimberly Moore of Covenant Caregivers, the legion of staff at St. Catherine’s Village, especially Iesha Youngblood and Erica Davis, and Traci Kendrick of Heart of Hospice, all of whom provided compassionate and sheltering care for our mother in her final years.
Services will be held Friday, November 24, at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Jackson, with visitation at 2:00 and a memorial service at 3:00. Interment will follow immediately at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. James’ Episcopal Church Outreach Fund, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, or Stewpot Community Services.
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