Betty C. King

Betty Christine Crews King, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on March 29, 2020. Betty was born on March 26, 1928 and was the 8th of 11 children of William James Crews and Etta Bell Gann Crews. Betty was a devoted Christian and long-time member of Blue Valley Baptist Church and Emmanuel Baptist Church. She worked in food service management and was an active volunteer in her retirement years. Betty was a dedicated, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She is survived by 5 children: Charles Daniel King, Jr. (Becky), Karen Etta King-Hayes, Denise Janet Lampert, Renee Christine King Feehely (Leo Jr.), Timothy Scott King (Renee'); 8 grandchildren: Carolyn (Brian) Dixon, Brandon Henderson, Kimberlee Neal, Timothy King, Jr., Ashleigh Paine (Travis), Leo Feehely III, Austin Feehely, and Emmilly Hayes; and 7 great-grandchildren: Tyler Dixon, Connor King, Dylan Neal, Ayden Neal, Presley King, Grayson King, and Ryder King. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, all 10 siblings, and her grandson, Kevin C. King. Graveside burial service for immediate family will be on Thursday, April 2, 2020. A Celebration of Life service will be scheduled at a later date.


The following excerpts were taken from the booklet written in 2001, My Memories by Betty Christine Crews King. She described each of her siblings individually, and this is what she had to say about herself:

Well, guess who's next … it's me, Betty Christine. I was born on March 26, 1928. My big brother, James, had been the youngest in the family for longer than any of his siblings, and he was not happy when I showed up. In a short time, my charm overcame his resentment, and we became playmates and good friends for the rest of our lives. Besides, I was dethroned as the youngest in less than two years when little brother Carl Dale arrived. My first really vivid memory is of Carl. We played in a dry, dusty yard. The hot, Arkansas sun had parched all vegetation from the yard. We began to throw the dust at each other. The dust, combined with perspiration, caked on us, and we were a mess when Mom discovered us. Of course, Carl was just a baby (under two), and I was four, so guess who was disciplined. Mom's discipline was never harsh, and we enjoyed the cold bath after she filled the washtub with water from the spring.

I remember the family going to the swimming hole. Carl would swim around and around Dad as the rest of the family applauded. One day I got so excited about Carl's ability to swim that I fell off the limb I was sitting on. No one noticed I'd fallen into the creek until I had bobbed up and down several times. Mom looked my way and altered Dad of the need to rescue me. This left me with an unreasonable fear of water. I have taken swimming lessons twice, but never learned more than floating on my back.

My next memory of Carl was of his death. He became very ill with diphtheria. A doctor was summoned, and since doctors really did make house calls, he arrived late in the evening, probably after his office hours. He gave Carl a shot with a big needle. Carl went into a seizure. The seizure stopped, but Carl was in a coma-like state. He died sometime during the night. Carl's death and Winford's death just a month later had an intense effect on me since I was under the age of five. I was sometimes teased about being a crybaby. I remember missing Carl a lot. Living in a rural area, he had been my only playmate.

Winford was the gentlest of my big brothers, and he was the one who gave me some attention. I believe the crying was my venting of grief and sense of loss. Mom and Dad exhibited a great faith in God during these troubled times. Dealing with my crying must have been very difficult for them, but I never remember either one showing frustration with me. Fern's birth four months later was our light at the end of the tunnel. However, I developed a fear of death which was reinforced by Mom's father's death the next September and several years later by my big sister, Inez's death.
Mom and dad were not regular churchgoers, but they were witnessing, born-again Christians. They witnessed by the way they lived and the courage with which they faced life. Mom often read the Bible to us. I never remember any bitterness or resentment toward God even though they had suffered great losses and life was a painful struggle.
When I heard the gospel message at a little Mission Church, I was quick to respond. Matthew 10:28-33 and John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." These verses reached my fears, and I was born spiritually. This experience happened when I was an adolescent, sometime between the ages of 11 and 13. I'm not sure of the exact date, but I am sure of my relationship with God through belief in Jesus. I'm sure I've passed from "death" into "life," and I'll live forever with God and with my loved ones who are also believers. Nothing has impacted my life like my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. His presence has given me courage to face each new day. He has calmed my fears, and I've been given guidance when I literally did not know which way to go. I'm sure He was the source of our parents' courage, and I pray all who come after will find "Him" as the source of abundant life, not just existence, but life in all its fullness as promised in John 10:10, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

I met Charles King when he came home after the war, and we fell madly in love. We were married on February 14, 1946 at West Florissant Baptist Church. Our first child, Charles Daniel King, Jr. was born on July 4, 1947. Two years later, on November 29, 1949, our first daughter, Karen Etta was born. Almost three years later, on August 4, 1952 our second daughter, Denise Janet, was born, who we thought would complete our family. But surprise! Nearly 10 years went by and on November 19, 1961 we were blessed with a third daughter. We named her Renee Christine. Since she would have been left to grow up alone, we made a conscious decision to have one more child. Timothy Scott was born on December 30, 1964. We divorced in 1972, but we have remained devoted parents.
I'm the eighth child, so I experienced the struggles with my older sisters and brothers. I remember the pain and trauma they went through. I'm very thankful for the choices they made and, most of all, for their choice not to give up. I've mentioned the strong-willed personality running through our genes. All of our generation had it to some extent. I pray we've passed it on. But most of all, I pray we pass on our faith in a loving God. My advice to you is to keep your priorities straight. God has no grandchildren, only children. "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God." (John 1:12)

We, the eight of Will and Etta's children who lived to adulthood, were inspired by our parents' love for and faith in a personal God, but we had to find our own relationship with Him. Don't only seek the Lord for what He can do for you, but also for who He is. When honoring Him is your first priority, all else will fall into place. God loves you and so do I.

Love and Prayers,
Betty Christine Crews King





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