Betty Woodward Ellis

Betty Edwards, Smith, Woodward, Ellis was born February 7, 1928, and went to her heavenly home September 9, 2025, 97 years young. Betty was born at Baylor Hospital in Dallas and was raised in Lancaster, Texas. Her mother and father built a home on West Main, where she spent most of her grade school, junior high, and high school years. Her third husband, Ben Ellis, grew up right across the street from her. They shared many happy days playing in the dirt, and playing with his toy lead soldiers. After they were married, Ben gave the whole set of toy lead soldiers to her, and said to her, "You can have these now, I’ve saved them all these years!" Her days in Lancaster were happily spent on the Square with her mother, talking and playing with friends, watching movies, and getting a soda at Hoosier’s pharmacy. Once she learned to drive, she would leave school and come to her father‘s Ford dealership where she would run errands for her dad. I don’t think she even had a drivers license! After high school graduation, she attended UTA for one year and then married Guy Joe Smith in 1946. They had two children together, Terry and Betty Kay. They made their home in Lancaster, Texas. Betty spent her time with her children, attending basketball games, football games, and all the other activities her children were involved in. In 1971 they left Lancaster and bought an apartment at Park Towers in Dallas. She lived for 54 years, and was living there at the time of her death. She then married Warren Woodward, and they continued to live in Park Towers until his death. Their days were spent traveling, and enjoying life as a retired couple. Several years after Warren passed away, Ben Ellis, her childhood classmate, contacted her. After a year of having lunch together, and going to movies, he asked her to marry him. She said, "But you live in Lancaster, and I live in Dallas, what will we do?" He laughed and said, "That’s easy, I’ll stay in my house in Lancaster, you can stay up here, and I’ll drive up here and see you!" They enjoyed a wonderful life together, living in separate places! Ben’s health deteriorated and Betty placed him in a nursing home up the street from her home. She would visit him daily until he passed away. Betty then lived alone in her home at Park Towers for the rest of her days. Without the help of her wonderful caretakers, Yolanda Juarez and Traci Goetsch, she could never have lived such a full and wonderful life. Her comment to her son Terry, after she was taken to the hospital was, "Well, I’ve had a wonderful life." Shortly afterwards she slipped into a coma and passed away. Betty is survived by her son Terry Smith, his wife Suzanne, her daughter Betty Kay Cockrell, her granddaughter Leslie Smith Schoenfield, grandsons Michael Cockrell and Terry Edward Smith, great grandsons William Schoenfield and John Schoenfield. A family graveside service at Hillcrest Memorial Park will be held at a later date.