Betty Jane Ross

Betty was born June 6, 1922, in Indianapolis, IN to William Charles and Frances Irene Bernardi O’Mara. She first came to Lubbock in 1938 with her parents. Graduating from Lubbock High School in 1940, she was President of the Student Council and All Westerner Girl. Betty attended Texas Tech, where she was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, Ko Shari, and President of Junior Council. She married James Floyd Ross February 24, 1943, in New York City. During World War II, she lived in Washington DC, Denver, CO and Riverside, CA where her husband was stationed. She worked for the American Red Cross and earned a certificate of appreciation from President Truman during this time.

She later lived in Hereford, Levelland, and Amarillo, and taught children’s classes in church school for twenty-five years and held district and conference offices in the United Methodist Church. In 1970, she resumed studying for a degree and attended West Texas University and Amarillo College, receiving a degree in mental health as a psychotherapist. Returning to Lubbock in 1973, she served as the Director of Contact, a telephone crisis line, for five years. She was on the first boards of R.S.V.P. and Family Outreach, was a member of the South Plains Genealogical Society, and the creative writing class at the Senior Center. She was a member of St. John’s Methodist Church.

Betty enjoyed caring for her family, reading, traveling extensively in Europe, the USA, and Canada, taking creative writing and computer classes, researching genealogy, gardening, sewing, meeting with her weekly coffee group, volunteering at Health Point and various organizations, and playing word games and crossword puzzles.

Preceded in death by her parents and her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Cynthia McAnally/Ed McAnally of Snyder, TX, and Melissa Streetman/Steve Wisnieski of San Antonio, TX, three grandchildren, Elizabeth Dryden of Dallas, TX, Emily Hartsell/Colby Hartsell of Prineville, OR, Ryan McAnally of Lubbock, and 4 great-grandsons, Zach and Caleb McAnally of Lubbock, and Cormic and Lochlin Hartsell of Prineville, OR.

Graveside services are under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home.

The family suggests memorials to St. John’s United Methodist Church, 1501 University, Lubbock, TX 79401.