Betty Guthrie

Betty June (Hiegle) Guthrie

Our loved one, Betty, has fallen asleep in Christ.  She passed July 21, 2020 in Midland, TX at the age of 80.  She was born on September 21, 1939 in Oklahoma City, OK to the late Frank James and Georgia Marie Hiegle.

Betty spent her junior high school years in Graham, TX where she kept friends until her death.  She graduated from Wichita Falls High School (“Old High”) in 1957.  She married James Allan Guthrie in 1959 and they immediately started a family with 3 children Lori, Steve and David.  They “temporarily” moved from Wichita Falls to Odessa in 1968.  She later moved to Midland.  Her “short” visit to the Permian Basin lasted 52 years until her death.  She worked various jobs through the years to help support 3 young children but her favorite by far was working as a florist.  She had a natural flair for creating beauty from flowers for all occasions.  She was charitable, loyal and loved her family deeply.  Betty enjoyed reading the Bible, genealogy, history, trivia and word games.  She loved holidays when family would gather and invariably end up at the table playing games.  Even in her later years in assisted living, she was the ring leader buying games and getting the other residents to play.  She was raised southern Baptist and made sure her children were brought up in the Christian faith.

Betty is preceded in death by James, her husband of 35 years who she missed terribly after his death in 1994, her parents, 2 brothers (Frank James, Jr. and Paul Lewis) and 2 sisters who were her best friends (Patsy and Sandra).

She is survived by her 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren – Lori Guthrie Searcy of Odessa and her 3 children Linzy, Calvin (Yalitza and children Caidence, Taylon and Evan) and Jarod (Candace); Steve Guthrie and his wife Eileen of Midland and their 2 children Allison (Joel and children Kate, Logan and Levi) and Stephanie (Jason and children Carter and Annie); David Guthrie and his wife Debra of Odessa.  She had a niece Jan Sims and her husband Jerry along with Jan’s son Brian (daughter Spencer).   Betty also had a nephew Kyle Smith and his wife Jennifer and their children Addison, Peyton, Ava and Hansen.  Cousins she was particularly close with were Karen Driscoll and her husband Bill, Beverly Fennessey and Gene Matthews.  She had numerous other cousins, nieces and nephews whom she loved.

A private graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa.