Betty Jo Maness

Betty Jo Maness was born at home on a cold winter night on December 28th, 1933. Word had been sent to the local doctor that he was needed at the Wallis home in Seminole, Oklahoma where her long life of 91 years was about to begin.

She was welcomed into her family by her parents William and Dicie Wallis and her siblings Hershall, Oscar, Claude, Margaret, Raymond, and Junior. Later her brother Bobby would be born. Mom was born during the depression, growing up in Shawnee, Oklahoma where she ran up and down the hills of tornado alley with her many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In 1949, during the dust bowl, William (Bud) decided to move his family to California to find work. Upon arriving in Visalia, Bud took Mom with him to see his long time friend Charlie Maness also from Oklahoma, who had brought his family out to California in 1936. It was there that our Mom first laid eyes on our Dad, Charles Maness. On October 29th, of the following year they were married. Soon after, Dad was drafted and while serving his country during the Korean War, in October of 1951, their first child was born, Charles Maness Jr, soon after came Geary, Kevin, Kathy and Barbara.

The couple established a home in Ivanhoe in 1961 where they raised all five of their children, living there until the death of Charles in 2003, at which time Mom moved to Exeter. They had been married 52 years.

Mom worked for several years at Sequoia Nursery Miniature Roses until she decided in 1974 to be home for her children. Mom was a homemaker in every sense and taught each of us valuable lifelong lessons. Mom cooked, baked, canned, sewed, quilted, gardened, cleaned, read books, attended Sierra Baptist Church, held bible studies in her home, and somehow still had time to care for many of her grandchildren over the years. Mom taught us to have value in who we were, to be kind to others, to be honest and respectful and to always work hard at whatever you were doing. Memories of Mom reading her Bible every night as a child are still precious memories, teaching us faith. Mom was the modern-day example of a Psalm 31 woman.

Mom was peacefully called home to be with the Lord on Monday, November 24th, 2025. She is singing with the angels, surrounded by those who love Jesus, and reunited with Daddy and all those she loved but had lost in her earlier life.

She was preceded in death by her parents William and Dicie Wallis, her brothers Hershall, Oscar, Claude, Raymond, and Junior Wallis, her sister Margaret Maness, our father Charles Maness, her sister-in-law Peggy (Jim) Lewis, her son-in-law Brad Pitcock, and one great-great grandchild Georgia Howton.

Mom is survived by her children, Charles (Mary) Maness Jr., of Woodlake, Geary (Joyce) Maness of Elk City, Oklahoma, Kevin Maness of Fruitland, Idaho, Kathy (Steve) Bradford of Ivanhoe and Barbara Pitcock of Exeter. Her grandchildren Shawn (Aleicia) Maness, Janis (Richard) Elliott, Russell Bradford, Randy (Andrea) Bradford, Jared (Beth) Bradford, Brittney Maness, Michele (Steven) Shuler, Sarah Maness, Justin (Missy) Maness, Derek Pitcock, Katie Villa (Rubin Garcia), Kristin (Jared) Statler, Daniel Pitcock, 27 Great Grandchildren and 11 Great-Great Grandchildren, her brother Bobby Wallis, brother-in-law Don Maness, sisters-in-law Rosemary (Bob) Ward, Darlene (Pete) Butchko, and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on Monday, December 15th, 2025 at Miller Memorial Chapel followed by burial at the Visalia Public Cemetery.