Betty Darlene Smith

Betty Darlene Brizendine Smith passed from this Earth on February 23, 2024 after a long courageous battle of declining health. She was born on October 2, 1946 in Burnet, Texas to parents Eddie Fulton Brizendine and Edith Lelwin Champlain Brizendine.

Betty was married to James Stephen (Steve) Smith on January 29, 1966 in Bertram, Texas.

Betty was preceded in death by her father Eddie Brizendine in 1974 and her mother Edith Brizendine in 2014 as well as her brother Glyn Dalton Brizendine in 2012. Betty is survived by her husband, Steve, of 58 years, her oldest brother Ernest Lelwin (Lee) Brizendine of Austin and his two children Phillip Brizendine (Amy) of Burnet and Renée Yates (Lonnie) of Marble Falls. Two sons, Stephen Brent Smith (Tammy) of Bertram and Blake Alan Smith (Melanie) of Houston and two grandsons, Cody Wayne Smith of Austin and Trevor Hassen Smith (Chris) of Chicago, Ill.

She is also survived by sisters-in-law Patricia Oertli (Skipper) and Pamela Smith (Ronnie), both of Bertram as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins. One cousin, Ann Hunt of Houston, was "the sister she never had" and her cousin Jamie Brizendine of Bertram a favorite childhood playmate and friend throughout her life.

Betty followed and supported Steve in his career while working as a financial assistant, secretary, and bookkeeper for numerous employers most notably the Department of Energy in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a number of years. All the while raising her family of all boys. She often lamented that she never got to have any little girls to buy dresses for. Betty's latter years were spent with Steve on their farm in Bertram where she named all the cows but finally stopped naming the calves because she couldn't stand it when it was time to sell them. Betty and Steve also enjoyed traveling in their RV when they could.

Pall bearers are sons Brent Smith and Blake Smith, grandsons Trevor Smith and Cody Smith, Cousin Jamie Brizendine and nephew Phillip Brizendine. Pastor Gavan Rorie, Chaplain for Enhabit Hospice officiating.

Betty's family sincerely thanks Enhabit Hospice, it's employees and volunteers, both past and present, who cared for Betty and to acknowledge their compassionate and skillful attention to Betty's needs for the past year allowing us to keep her at home.

Visitation will be at the Clements/Wilcox Funeral Home in Burnet on Friday March 1st from 5 to 7 pm. Services will be on Saturday March 2nd at 10 am at the Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow at the Brizendine Family Cemetery, Gabriel Mills, Williamson County, Texas.

The family suggests that in lieu of flowers memorials in Betty's name may be made to the Brizendine Family Cemetery Association or the organization of your choice.