Betty Ruth Crawford Rollins died at home in Hamshire, Friday, September 19, 2014, after a lengthy illness. She was born on September 15, 1924, at her grandparent’s home in Beaumont. Betty was the oldest of 5 children born to Vernon Malcolm and Helen Francis (Beihler) Crawford. She attended grade school at Cheek Elementary School and graduated from South Park High School in 1942. On November 9, 1942 she married Levi E. Rollins. The couple resided in Hamshire at the same location for over seventy years.
Betty was a homemaker and she loved to work outside nurturing her plants and flowers. She was an excellent gardener and for several years managed a model peach orchard. One of her greatest hobbies was fishing. She started out fishing with a cane pole and trotlining for catfish, and later learned to fish with a rod & reel for saltwater fish and bass at Toledo Bend Reservoir in East Texas. She became an avid bass fisherlady and loved her time at Toledo Bend. She will mostly be remembered by her family for her cooking. She liked to cook and there was no one in the world better at it. She was the best mother ever for raising three sons. She was always doing things with them such as camping, fishing, and encouraging them in athletics. She was elected as the first President of the Twin County Pony League Baseball Auxiliary which represented Fannett, Hamshire, Winnie, Stowell, Sour Lake, China, Devers and Nome.
Survivors include her brother, Ed Crawford of Fannett; sons, Clay and his wife, Stacy and Malcolm and his wife, Concetta, all of Hamshire; Scott and his wife, Mary, of Orange; twelve grandchildren; fourteen great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-six years, Levi E. Rollins; parents, Vernon and Helen Crawford; brothers, Vernon Crawford, Jr. and Jerry Thomas Crawford; and sister, Monte Lee (Taysie) Krebs.
A gathering of Mrs. Rollins’ family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Monday, September 22, 2014, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer, Winnie. Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at the First Baptist Church, 25304 Texas Highway 124, Hamshire, with interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery, Winnie. Officiating will be Pastor Neil Higginbotham. Serving as pallbearers will be her nephews, David and Josh Crawford; grandsons, Josh, John Scott, and Jacob Rollins; and great grandson, Clete Norton.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to everyone at the Clairmont Nursing Home in Beaumont who cared for mom during her temporary residency for rehab of her broken hip; to the caregivers with SETXHome Care and to Altus Hospice Care of Beaumont. Special thanks for love and care also go to Mom’s best friend Lutha Mae Pitre.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the First Baptist Church, 25304 Texas Highway 124, Hamshire, Texas 77622.
