Bettye Spence

Bettye was born on June 4th, 1927, in Sycamore, GA. She grew up in Florence, SC, and graduated from Florence High School. She attended college at the then, Georgia State College for Women, in Milledgeville, GA, and graduated with a BS in Business Administration.

After working in the business world for about 10 years, Bettye decided she wanted to teach. Education was very important to her. She went back to Barry College in Miami and the University of Miami, and took education courses to prepare her to teach. She taught at North Miami Senior High School for five years.

In February of 1952, Bettye married Samuel Burton Spence, Jr. After living in The Bahamas for 1 year and Miami, FL for 11 years, Bettye and Sam moved to Columbus, GA.

Bettye taught Adult Education at Columbus Technical College. While teaching at Columbus Tech, Bettye also attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA and earned her Masters Degree in Business Education. She retired in 1989. Her husband, Sam, died the same year.

Bettye was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church for many years.

Bettye is preceded in death by her parents, Bertye Ellis Timmons and Luther Rice Timmons, her two sisters, Sara Elizabeth Timmons Kruse and Gloria Jean Timmons Stover and nephews, Michael Ellis Kruse, William Thomas Tison and James Layton Tison. She is survived by her niece, Suzanne Elizabeth Stover.

There will be a graveside service at Rose Hill Cemetery in Ashburn, GA on July 30, 2026 at 11:30 AM.

To honor Bettye, please consider donating your time and/or money to these local charities:

PAWS HUMANE

and

FEEDING THE VALLEY FOOD BANK