Betty Sue Butler Carson

Friends are invited to celebrate the life of Betty Sue Butler Carson at a memorial service Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. in the First Christian Church, 1300 South First Street, Lufkin, with services officiated by Reverend Stephen Lantis and Associate Pastor Artie Anderson. Family visitation will follow the memorial at 3:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Private interment will be in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park.

Betty Carson, loving wife, treasured mother and encouraging friend passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends Tuesday, January 25, 2011.

Betty was born in Memphis, Tennessee January 19, 1924 to Addie Iola (Jamison) Butler and William Andrew Butler. The Great Depression precipitated a family move to Osceola, Arkansas where she spent much of her childhood with her brothers, Frank and Irving, and sisters, Mable, Berte and Mary Stewart as the baby sister.

Betty never met a stranger and her warm, witty, and charming personality won her friends and admirers wherever she went. People were drawn to her and became part of her extended family which included people from virtually every walk of life. Friends sought her help in times of crisis because of her honesty, wise counsel and compassion.

As World War II spread across Europe Betty was returning home from nursing school when a chance encounter on a train shaped her life. A stunning beauty in her youth, she met a tall, handsome young man on that train leading to love at first sight and a 51 year marriage to Richard Jennings Carson.

Truly a part of the greatest generation, Betty and Richard endured their separation during WWII as Richard served as an Army medic with the 36th Texas division and walked across Europe during the war.

Betty was a fourth generation member of the Disciples of Christ and converted her Methodist-raised husband, Richard to the denomination. The family moved from St. Louis to Lufkin in 1948 where they attended First Christian Church that very first Sunday, only to find out that the church family knew they were coming because Betty's mother had called ahead. Betty and Richard deeply loved their church and their church family.

The family grew to include ""Maggie"" Margaret Lynn, ""Kitty"" Emily Jamison, Mary Carol and Richard Jennings Carson, Jr.

Betty's lifelong profession was nursing and she was a Registered Nurse whose accomplishments included starting and supervising one of the first intensive cardiac care units in the area at Woodland Heights Hospital in the late 1960's and early '70's. Betty often volunteered to work as a private duty nurse for friends, family and others in need and loved helping and serving others. Betty also was an instructor at the Angelina College School of Nursing and taught the certified Nurse's Aide course for many years. In fact, Betty never quit nursing, often ""talking shop"" with her doctors and providing advice sought by the nursing staff of the Castle Pines Nursing Home.

The Angelina College-Carson Family Scholarship has been created to honor the memory and life works of Richard J. ""Richard"" Carson, Sr. and Betty Butler Carson.

Richard and Betty's abiding love for each other and their lifetime of service and caring for others is the inspiration for the scholarship. As committed Christians they believed in helping others and their lives were spent teaching and encouraging others to succeed.

Betty is survived by her daughters, Kitty and husband Dale Bounds and Mary and husband Arlin Grimes; son, Richard and wife Donna Carson; children-by-choice, Georgia Shotwell and Del Bridges; grandchildren, Laura Capps Longino, Matthew Capps and wife Duriza, Alan Capps and wife Robin, Emily Grimes, Carson Grimes, Jamison Carson and Riley Carson; and great-grandchildren, Katy and Vivian Longino, Caylie and Will Capps, and Stephan, Taylor and Carson Capps.

Honorary pallbearers include: Jim Riggs, Bob Putnam, Bob Brown, Matt Capps, Alan Capps, Carson Grimes, Dale Bounds, Arlin Grimes, Richard Carson, Jr., Riley Carson, Caleb Ramsey, J.R. Johnson, Juan Garza and the Reverend Sidney Spain.

The family wishes to thank her special friend and caretaker Kernie Harris and the many friends who loved and cared for her and helped keep her in good spirits.

Our special thanks to the staff of Castle Pines, Americare, Pineywoods Home Health, Henderson Dialysis, Ashley Cook, Heart to Heart Hospice, as well as her skilled and compassionate Doctors, Imran Nazeer, Kevin Farris, and David Glenn who often went above and beyond that which was required to provide her the best possible care.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that you honor the memory of Betty Carson through a contribution to the Richard and Betty Carson Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund, Attention Business Office, Angelina College, Post Office Box 1768, Lufkin, Texas, 75901.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.