Betty Janice Standridge

Betty Janice Smith Standridge (Boots) was born on July 13th, 1938 to William Ray Smith and Bessie Bernice Smith Allison. She went to be with her Heavenly Father on October 25, 2022.

Boots was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Peggy Jane Smith and Barbara Ann Baker, and her brother Jerry Ray Smith. She is survived by her loving husband and best friend Harold Wayne Standridge, daughter Nita Jean Wilson, son Alvin Wayne (Tonto) Standridge and wife Kathryn. Grandchildren Kyle Heitzman and wife Marcia, Weston Standridge and wife Erin, Lyndi Standridge, Carrie Lane and Craig Lane, Brian Lee Mowery and Kellie Cortez and Kimberly Dawn Boyington. Great-grandchildren Joseph, Carly, Kayla, Khloe, Elijah, Justus, and Brayden. Sisters Opal Bryant and husband Raymond, Kay Ore and husband Robert, brother-in-law Bobbie Baker and Brother-in-law Darrell Standridge. Many nieces and nephews and special friends and wonderful neighbors.

Boots was the pillar of her family. If you knew her, you loved her. Her smile was worth a million words. She never met a stranger and loved everyone. You could always find her in the kitchen cooking for whoever was coming to see her. Everyone loved her cooking.

Boots played on a women’s league basketball team in her younger years. She fished with whoever would fish with her. Her and her husband, Harold fished for many years together at Lake Eufaula. They fished a local weekly tournament and at the end of the tournament the winner would buy a round of drinks. Boots caught the biggest fish and won. All the men left and wouldn’t stay around for drinks because a woman beat them. She has several trophy fish that she had mounted. You never had to worry about taking care of her when you took her fishing because she baited her own hook.

She left us with so many great memories from stomping guitars, dancing on the tables at Eufaula, sitting next to her dabbing at the Bingo Hall, punching the buttons at the casino. She loved watching the hummingbirds and doves on her patio. She would throw out birdseed and sit at the dining table and watch them as she read her daily scriptures, read the paper, drank her coffee and made all of her phone calls each morning to friends and family members.

A lot of time was spent with her at the dining room table telling stories and we would laugh for hours. Even though Harold was the light of her life she would give him a hard time to give us something to laugh about.

Boots loved all kinds of sports, from football, basketball, NASCAR, Friday Night Smack Down Wrestling, and College World Series Softball.

When Boots cooked family meals there was so much food it would cover the entire dining room table. The food was so good you would want a 2nd helping.

But when it comes down to it Boots loved her husband and children with a passion. She didn’t need a best friend because she had one, her husband of 68 years was always beside her doing things together.

Nita and Tonto would call her several times a day just to tell her what was going on daily with them and she would call them just as many times a day. Love filled her home and you felt it when you walked in the door. She was a true Servant of the Lord, and she probably didn’t know it because that’s just what she did waiting on everyone all her life, up until 3 weeks ago.

As her daughter-in-law, Betty became my best friend. She was the mother I lost many years ago. She showed me so much love. She taught me what unconditional love really is. She was the strongest woman I’ve ever known and so full of wisdom.

Nita and Tonto are so very fortunate to have her as long as they have, and they have cherished every day they’ve had with her. She taught them to also be strong but to have a heart of gold like her.

The family would like to thank everyone for all their heart felt prayers and all the visits and food that was brought at this time. It was a comfort to the family for all the things and memories you shared with them. We just ask for your continued prayers, and they move forward with their lives without their precious mother and wife.

A graveside service for Betty will be held Saturday, October 29, 2022 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Arlington Memory Gardens Mausoleum, 3400 North Midwest Blvd, Midwest City, OK 73141.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.eisenhourfuneralhome.com for the Standridge family.