October 29, 1928 - February 12, 2025
Betty Delight Jennings, age 96, of Spring City, TN, passed from death into life on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at Spring City Care and Rehabilitation Center in Spring City.
Betty was born on October 29, 1928, just before the Great Depression. From the stories she told about her childhood, you would never know that she grew up during that era. She and her sister, Joed, and their cousins who lived nearby would roam the “hills and hollers” of Southwestern Virginia, playing in the creeks, dipping their toes and pressing their luck, as they would edge near Bud Pond, a supposedly 100-foot deep pond. They would play “rock school” and cut out clothing models from their Sears & Roebuck catalog to make paper dolls.
One day when Betty was 14 years old, she was looking out a window at school when she saw a tall, athletic young man playing basketball. She asked her cousin who he was and he told her, “Muriel Jennings.” She said, “I want a date with him!” And the rest is the story of their immense love for each other. They were married on August 6, 1949, and a year later welcomed their first child, Cathy, into the world. They moved from Virginia to Tennessee to live next to Muriel’s parents on a 400 acre farm. Three years later their second child, Cheryl, was born and nine years later their third child, Cindy was born, who kept everyone on their toes.
In addition to working on the farm, Muriel took a job at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge and Betty stayed home caring for their children, tending to the garden, and taking over some of the farm chores. Betty loved to cook, can, embroider, and sew, making her children’s school clothes and even making Cathy’s wedding gown.
Years later Betty and Muriel became grandparents. First Jason, then Beau, Elizabeth, Kristy, and last but not least, Bradley. Eventually the grandchildren grew up and gave their grandparents the gift of 10 great-grandchildren and one now on the way. Additionally, they were blessed with four great-great grandchildren. Betty loved her family, teaching them to know and love Jesus. She was of the Christian faith and as a teenager, was baptized in a creek near where her Aunt Sally – whom she called “Preacher Sally” lived.
When she grew older and had more time on her hands, Betty loved to sit on her front porch and watch the birds and squirrels play around in her yard. When it was too cold or wet to sit on the front porch, she enjoyed watching Andy Griffith and Judge Judy, saying she wished she was as tough as the judge.
Betty is preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Luther Muriel Jennings; her parents, Elbert and Allie Russell; her sister, Joed Olinger; and two great-grandsons, Preston and Alex Marcus. She is survived by her daughters Cathy Alewine, Cheryl Jennings, and Cindy (Randy) Keahey; her grandchildren, Jason Carver, Beau Alewine, Elizabeth Alewine, Kristy Marcus, and Brad Keahey (Alison); great-grandchildren Kristian(Maddie) and Tyler (Brook) Alewine; Kadie, Taylee, Bryce and Nova Marcus; Luther, Joseph, (and one on the way) Keahey, and four great-great grandchildren Laney Colbaugh, Brixton and Colston Alewine, and Amelia Alewine. She is also survived by her beloved niece and nephew, Gale (Ronnie) Ferrell and Greg Olinger, as well as her last surviving cousin, Sharon Carriger.
A celebration of her life and legacy will be held at Vaughn’s Funeral Home in Spring City. Receiving friends will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 17th. Her funeral will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18th, with interment at Glen Alice Cemetery, where she will once again lay beside her beloved husband.
Vaughn Funeral Home of Spring City is in charge of the arrangements of Betty Delight Jennings and asks that friends share condolences and memories of her with the family on our website www.vaughn-funeral-home.com.