Bettye Baughn, 88, of Jackson, Mississippi, was born on April 8, 1938, and went to her heavenly home on October 25, 2026. One of the last great Claytons from Dorsey, Mississippi, she carried forward a proud sense of where she came from and a steady devotion to those she loved. Her life was marked by a giving spirit—expressed not in grand display, but in the daily, faithful ways she showed up for family, friends, and community.
In her younger years, Bettye Jean graduated from Itawamba Junior College and left home to work at Woolworth’s in Vicksburg, MS. That step spoke to a quiet strength and an earnest willingness to do what was needed, building a life through work and perseverance while keeping close the values she was raised with. She later worked in the Jackson Public Schools and with the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
A great cook and an attentive gardener, Bettye expressed her care for others with her delicious Southern dishes prepared with love and the patient tending of growing things that she fashioned into distinctive arrangements, each reflecting her creativity and eye for God's beauty. She loved hymns and was a choir member at Midway Baptist Church and Jackson Bible Church, remembered especially for her singular soprano voice. She also had a certain way about her that set the record straight wherever she went—made all the more memorable when she retold the story with her unmistakable lilt. In her later years, she joined Pinehaven Presbyterian Church, where her warmth, joy, and strong spirit helped her form many cherished friendships.
Bettye was preceded in death by her parents, Russell Basil Clayton and Vivian Moore Clayton; her husband, Talmadge Dewitt Baughn, Jr.; her son, Talmadge David Baughn; and her brothers, Russell Clayton and L.Q. Clayton. She is survived by her brother, Thomas Clayton of Dorsey, MS, and son, Darrell Clayton Baughn and his wife, Jennifer, of Jackson, MS.
“There are few, Mother, if any, who could compare,
A soul tending God's creation with thoughtful care,
Who lived and moved and worked away from home
Soft feather pillows in a South never to roam-
A true Lady with music, style and wit-
We will miss the special you, beauty in grit.”
Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at Lakewood Funeral Home with a funeral service at 11:00 am. A graveside will follow at Lakewood Memorial Park.
