Betty Jennings

Betty Craft Jennings was born in Spur, Texas May 12, 1929 (on Mother's Day) to Rev. and Mrs. Truett G. Craft. She was married to James R. Jennings, who preceded her in death. Betty is survived by one daughter, Kathleen Hamilton, and husband Evan Hamilton. Also surviving are a grandson, Wesley Hamilton and wife Jenny, and a granddaughter, Kyla, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Betty graduated from high school in Hale Center, Texas and graduated from McMurry University in Abilene, Texas in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education with a major in Mathematics and a minor in English. She received a Master of Education Degree from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico with a major in English and Reading. Additional postgraduate work was continued during her 30 years of teaching, and even after retirement, at Eastern New Mexico University and Texas Tech University. Betty worked in insurance for ten years in Abilene, and served as an educator for thirty year in the Muleshoe Independent School District.

Betty loved taking courses at Texas Tech and Eastern New Mexico University, following the advice of her Dad, which was: If you ever quit learning, you quit living. In doing so, she had certifications in many areas. She taught high school math and was chairman of the math department. In addition she taught high school English courses, as well as 7th grade Language Arts in Junior High School. After becoming a Reading Specialist she taught Individualized Reading Classes in 8th grade. She later became Junior High School Counselor, and then Director of Special Education for the Muleshoe Independent School District. Betty was asked by the Education Service Center to become a trained presenter for workshops in Instructional Leadership, a series of 3 2-day workshops which included the Lesson Cycle, Effective Teaching Practices, and Developmental Supervision. They were for both teachers and administrators, and required for administrators before they could take the Appraisal Training. Then she was asked to take the training to teach the Appraisal Training, and taught it at the Education Service Center. She was also trained in the Scottish-Rite (Orton-Gillingham) method of teaching dyslexics and was a certified presenter for the Bi/Polar Seminars, a seminar to help one understand themselves, others, and how to strengthen relationships. During her years in education Betty was very active in professional organizations for teachers. She was president of the Muleshoe unit of Texas State Teachers Association, served on Region 17 District Necrology Committee, and served for two terms on the Legislative Committee on the state level, at which time the committee actively worked with the Texas Legislature and the Governor and Lt. Governor for improvements in education.

After retirement from the public schools, Betty continued to work as an educational consultant, making workshop presentations and working with Scholastics Analysts, an organization that evaluated teachers in Texas school districts. She also worked with many area school districts writing manuals that would aid teachers in effective teaching practices, in making modifications for students, and operating guidelines and policies and procedures for Special Education programs in Region 17.

Betty had many hobbies, one of which was writing poetry. She took classes in Creative Poetry, and compiled an anthology of her poetry. She completed a class in writing one's own biography. She also completed a fun series of courses in Scrapbook Design from Scrapbook Design University, obtaining their version of both a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree! She worked on genealogy for many years, and compiled a scrapbook on her Mother's ancestry dating back to early 1800's. She also compiled a book on her father's memoirs, which included many stories of memoirs that he had actually written, one of which was about his Great-grandfather, Dr. Jessie Craft, a doctor in the Civil War era. She compiled his genealogy dated back to 1750, and at the end of the manual she included a compilation of poems and sermons that her Dad had sent to her through the years. Betty devoted much of her spare time to crochet, and won many ribbons at the South Plains Fair. Betty taught a course entitled "The Art of Crochet" through the OLLI Extended Learning classes at Texas Tech University, and taught the same class for several sessions at her church. She wrote her own instruction manuals for these classes. Betty also took great pleasure in baking and giving it to friends. She even entered many items she baked in the South Plains Fair - cakes, breads, and candies - and won many ribbons for that.

Betty published four cookbooks, one entitled WELCOME TO GRANNY CRAFT'S KITCHEN - A FIFTY YEAR COLLECTION, which was a publication of her Mother's recipes collected from 1927 until 1982, the time of her death. These recipes were obtained from parishioners during their many moves in the life of a Methodist minister, and her Mother had placed the year obtained and the place they lived. There have now been 9 printings of this book, and with each additional printing Betty added a few more of her favorite recipes. In addition, Betty has published three of her own recipe books, A RECIPE SAMPLER FROM BETTY CRAFT JENNINGS, a second one entitled KITCHEN KEEPSAKES FROM THE JENNINGS COLLECTION, and a third book entitled BETTY'S BEST, which she published at the age of 92. In the fall of 1987 and again in 1988 Betty was elected to membership in Who's Who in American Education. In the spring of 1989 Betty was elected to membership in Who's Who of Women Executives. Then in the fall of 1989 she was chosen for inclusion in the Dictionary of International Biography, published by the International Biographical Center of Cambridge, England.

Betty was an active member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Lubbock, and a member of the Homebuilders Sunday School Class, which has now merged with the John Wesley class.

One of Betty's greatest pleasure in life was derived from doing something for others. She often baked a cake for friends, sometimes as a thank you and sometimes just as a surprise gesture of love. Several of her poems reflect this, "The Power of A Little Straight Line" and "The Seasons of Life." She knew from the time she entered school in Grade 1 that she wanted to become a teacher. She did not know what she would teach until she enrolled in a first year Algebra Class her freshman year in high school. Then she knew that Math would be the way she wanted to help other young people during her teaching years.

After moving to a retirement home, she taught iPad classes to the senior citizens who were residents in the home and wrote a book outlining how-to instructions for operating the iPad. She also compiled many other interesting and helpful books. While working with Scholastic Analysts she compiled a book for both teachers and teach evaluators on the Texas Teacher Appraisal System, explaining all aspects of each domain of the evaluation process. Betty saved many articles she read during the years in education; the articles dealt with many subjects, and were interesting, educational, historical, humorous, anecdotes about children in school, church-related humor, and especially meaningful spiritual poetry and writings. When the number had over-crowded the filing cabinet, she organized them by topics and compiled them into books, a total of which there are about 45 including her genealogical compilations. Some of the titles of her many books are: Things You Need To Know, A Few of My Favorite Things, A Spiritual Journey, Travel Texas, The Little Red Schoolhouse - Mathematics, Geography, English, and American History, Having Fun With The English Language, Growing Old - Turning 80, and The 23rd Psalm.

A visitation for Betty will be held Sunday, October 22, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Resthaven Funeral Home, 5740 West 19th St, Lubbock, TX 79407. A funeral service will occur Monday, October 23, 2023 at 10:00 PM at St Lukes, 5805 98th St, Lubbock, TX 79424.

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