Betty Margaret Scott Neely

Betty Margaret Scott Neely was born in Dyer County, TN near Dyersburg on December 28, 1926 and she died peacefully on June 21, 2014 in Knoxville, TN at age 87 of heart failure. She attended elementary school in Fairview and Newbern and she attended high school in Newbern and Dyersburg. She attended the University of Tennessee for two years at Martin and two years in Knoxville, graduating in home economics in 1947. She worked in Paris, TN as a home demonstration agent until 1949 when she married James A. Neely and moved to Jackson. In Jackson, she taught Home Economics at J.B. Young High School for two years before her children were born. Later she taught third grade at Alexander Elementary School from 1960 until she retired in 1991. While teaching she earned her Masters of Education at Memphis State University receiving her Masters in 1969.

Her daughter is Rita Ann Neely Scruggs, who is married to Jonny Scruggs, and she has two children, Leah Scruggs and James Scruggs. Her son is Andrew Scott Neely, who is married to Diane Holden Neely, and he has three children, Jennifer Neely, Rebecca Neely and Scott Neely.

Her parents were Henry Peter Scott III and Rita Caldwell Scott. Her brother was Henry Peter Scott IV, who is deceased. On her parents side, her sister-in-law is Mary Virginia Scott Mebane and her nieces are Melissa Totty and Amy Martinez. On her husband’s side, her sisters-in-law are Willene Neely and Dorthy Warren, both deceased, and Anna Marie Duke, and her nieces and nephews are Mary Adeline Warren Bedwell, Joe Warren, Cliff Duke, Janna Drake.

She was a very active and loyal member of the First Christian Church of Jackson, TN. She was a deaconess of the church and was a member of the John Long’s Sunday School class. She planned and orchestrated activities for the Keenagers (seniors) of the church, and she taught Bible School. During retirement, she traveled the world, volunteered at Regional Hospital of Jackson, taught computer classes, enjoyed UT and Titans football with her husband, loved her grandchildren, exercised at the Y and the Mall, enjoyed local theater and almost never missed the book reviews at the Jackson library.

In her last years, she called her nursing home her school and she was constantly writing her thesis. One of her more fascinating stories was about her mother raising triplet goats that were born in her front yard.

She took care of her parents, her parents-in-law, her sister-in-law, and her husband during their final years. She was a wonderful daughter, wife and mother. She will be missed.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete with George A. Smith and Sons Funeral Home, (731) 427-5555.