On Sunday, April 12, 2020, Elizabeth (Betty) F. Wallace, loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away at her home at the age of 93. Betty was born on June 28, 1926 in Gastonia, NC to Emma and Thomas Abernathy. Initially she attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA where her love for art was first nurtured. She later transferred to the University of Georgia in Athens, GA where she continued to excel in the arts and ultimately received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
On September 4, 1948 she married William (Bill) A. Wallace and together they had three children, Becky, Janet and Scott. She was very proud of her children and their accomplishments. She was a loving grandmother to Kayla, Blake and Luke and adored all of her grandchildren’s artwork. She loved picking them up from school, spending afternoons shopping for cars and other toys and watching Mr. Rogers with them. She was also blessed to be a great-grandmother and to meet her new granddaughter Emerson Noel. Betty was well-known in the Hampton community for her colorful and imaginative artwork and held several local exhibitions over the years. Her work encompassed many themes but the majority of her paintings were inspired by her religious beliefs. In particular, her early oil paintings demonstrated her strong love for Jesus and his teachings. Her commitment was also demonstrated through the numerous illustrations that she drew for the church service bulletins at Hampton United Methodist Church. In addition, Betty contributed her musical talents to the church by playing the organ and piano for morning services and added her voice to the church choir’s tenor section for several years.
Betty embarked on a career in education by teaching second grade at Hampton Elementary School and went on to teach children in a newly-created gifted program which covered elementary schools throughout Henry County. During this time Betty also wrote several poetry books and won numerous awards for her poems. She spent many hours enjoying the company of friends and especially appreciated the challenges of playing bridge. She was an avid lover of nature with a special fondness for animals and trees. In particular, she cared for many abandoned feral cats and always succeeded in adopting one or two as dearly-loved companions. Betty was preceded in death by her mother (Emma), her father (Thomas), her brothers (Jack, Bill and Bob), her husband (WA) and her daughter (Janet). She is survived by her daughter Becky (Jon); her son Scott (Beth); her grandchildren Blake (Amanda), Kayla (Zach) and Luke; and her great-granddaughter Emerson. Donations may be sent to Hampton United Methodist Church, 10 W. Main St, Hampton, GA 30228 or The Humane Society.
