Betty Jean Wrightson

WRIGHTSON, BETTY JEAN


Betty Jean Wrightson, born in Olathe, Kansas to Aaron and Lorene Scholl on January 2, 1923, died in her sleep, at the age of 91, on the morning of September 1, 2014 in Decatur, Georgia. She will be sorely missed.


Her name changed to Betty Jean Foote after her then-divorced mother married Lou Foote of Foote Airline Service outside Austin, Texas.


Betty Jean is survived by her kind, devoted and loving husband of 67 years, Walter Wrightson, age 96, two sons, Walter (Skip) Wrightson, Jr. of Albuquerque, NM and Glenn Steven Wrightson of Atlanta, Georgia, two grandchildren, a son and daughter of Skip Wrightson, Dylan and Chelsea Wrightson and a great-grandchild, daughter of Dylan Wrightson, Paige Wrightson.


Betty Jean made an impact on peoples' lives and sought no rewards or acknowledgements. Not only was she a friend of mankind, always encouraging and helping others, she was talented almost beyond comprehension and certainly beyond recognition.


Betty Jean was a fountain of creativity. She played first chair violin for the Kansas City orchestra at a young age, played, by ear, the organ and piano with gusto and grace. For decades, the Wrightson home was filled with music from Betty Jean playing the organ. She attended college on a voice scholarship, was to have been one, if not the only, non-Mormon to have played the Tabernacle Organ in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a first-in-class knitter, crotchetier, and needle pointer, and, among many other talents, a highly-proficient cook. She wrote poems, created and published original recipes, and could play any song by ear after hearing it only one time. Quality and tastefulness were expected virtues to her and she rarely, if ever, met a stranger.


Being the daughter of a professional female pilot, who was an original member of the Ninety-Nines along with Amelia Earhart, Betty Jean learned at a young age, to be self-reliant and self-motivated. And, she practiced rewarding herself by giving to others. She understood and received the benefit of helping others, wanting nothing in return.


Her independent and inquisitive streak took her abroad and to Dublin Ireland many years because she wanted to see the real Saint Patrick's Day parade. Betty Jean drove solo across the USA and into Canada because she loved the sites and the different people she met along the way. As she traveled both in the USA and abroad, her husband, Walter, would, on occasion, join her at different locations as his work-schedule permitted. After her husband retired, they were an inseparable team.


Betty Jean, having both the rarest of blood types and the strong inclination to help others, would often give blood on an emergency basis in the wee hours
of the night. Many, many nights she would go to Grady Hospital or what was then Georgia Baptist Hospital, to give, because as she explained, they needed my blood.


Betty Jean Wrightson donated in excess of 18 gallons of blood through the American Red Cross.


During the Vietnam War, Betty Jean sent a dozen or more care packages, including cookies she made, to soldiers every week for no less than two years and, it has been said, she was the first person to donate a turkey to Hose William's Feed the Hungry. In fact, that first year, she donated two turkeys to that cause and then for many years thereafter.


Betty Jean was a cub-scout mom, an active member of the church for many years and was an avid attendee at the Atlanta Opera performances. She enjoyed both the finer things in life and the simple things. She loved to sing while hanging laundry and made the Wrightson family the go-to-neighbor at Halloween; because she made popcorn balls. She was a facilitator to do things and to get things accomplished.


Betty Jean was a provider of hope and inspiration and pursued fairness and that which is proper. One of her favorite saying was, Love people and use things - don't use people and love things. She believed in the Golden Rule and strived to follow the Ten Commandments. And, to her, proper manners were of utmost importance.


Betty Jean was a loving and devoted wife and mother. While she was strict and persuasive, she knew what was good for the household (she was the homemaker), was a loving wife and reared what are now two fine men.
She had a framed quote on the kitchen wall that said, This is no ordinary housewife you are dealing with.


She practiced and exemplified the life of an independent thinker and doer combined with a love of mankind and virtue. She was known for her strong will and giving heart. Again, she will be sorely missed.


A graveside service will be held for the passing of Betty Jean Wrightson at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, September 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm.


In lieu of flowers, the family encourages people to be thoughtful of, and kind and helpful to one another.




Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033