Obit of Gaffney, Dr. Bettye Jean - McCurtain County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 30 Aug 2008 Return to McCurtain County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/mccurtain/mccurtai.htm ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Williamston Cemetery--Idabel Ok Stillwater NewsPress May 10, 2007 10:44 am Dr. Bettye Jean Gaffney Dr. Bettye Jean Gaffney, 78, died Saturday, May 5, 2007, in Idabel. Services are scheduled for Saturday in Rose Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Herbert Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Williamston Cemetery. Visitation for family and friends will be Friday, from 6 to 8 p.m., in Nunley's Funeral Home. She was born in Idabel Dec. 3, 1928, to Alice Gaffney Wilson and Walter Hill. She was the eldest of three children. She accepted Christ at an early age and attended Rose Hill Baptist Church. While living in Stillwater, she united with First Christian Church Disciples of Christ, where her membership remained until her death. She attended Booker T. Washington Elementary and High School, graduating in the class of 1946. In 1950, she graduated from Langston University Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor of science degree in education. While there, she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Nov. 14, 1948, and sustained her membership until her death. She continued her education at OSU where she received a master of education degree in 1962 and a doctorate in education in 1976. She taught high school in Tatums (1950-1960), McAlester L'Ouverture (1960-1966) and McAlester Senior High (1966-1973) and served as an associate professor at OSU, Stillwater, in the Department of Home Economics, Education and Community Services from 1976 until her retirement in 1995. Affectionately called "B. J.," "BahWah" and "Baby," she was always very quiet and humble, yet had an unspeakable strength and wisdom and everyone sought to be in her presence. She had such a love for children that she would quickly join them on play mats and be engaged in conversation for countless minutes. Her favorite pastime was simply holding a new baby in her arms and cooing along with it. She also loved to sew, cook and read. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Lillie Vivian Turpin. Survivors include her brother, Jerry D. Wilson (Pamela), Beaverton, Ore.; brother-in-law, Leroy Turpin, (Lillie's husband), Hyattsville, Md.; three nieces, Lillet Williams (Corey), Bowie, Md., Jennifer Wilson, Monterey, Calif. and Elizabeth Luchini (Alex), San Mateo, Calif.; two nephews, USAF Capt. Eric Wilson (Valencia), Great Falls, MT and Samuel Wilson, Beaverton, Ore.; two great-nephews, Cohen Williams and Thaddeus Wilson; one great-niece, Trinity Wilson; a very close cousin, Dorothy Carr, Idabel and a host of other relatives, friends and the many, many godchildren she adopted and took under her wings and into her heart. To honor her, the Oklahoma Home Economics Association Foundation has established a scholarship for minority students. Persons wishing to contribute to the scholarship may send contributions to Dr. Rene Daugherty, OHEA Treasurer, College of Home Economics, Stillwater, OK 74078-0337. Checks should be made payable to OHEA Foundation, Gaffney Scholarship. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to McCurtain Archives http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/mccurtain/mccurtai.htm