Betty Shivers-McPherson

Born Betty Sue Powell in Omega, Ga on November 26, 1933, she grew up in small farm community where everyone knew each other, their respective families, and attended the same church and school. One of those classmates was John “Bob” Shivers, a boy just a couple of years older, that she often watched from her parents’ roof as he worked in the adjacent fields.

After a few years in Omega, Ga, and just before her 16th birthday, Betty married “Bob” and would begin an adventure that would last almost 63 years. Both the Powells and Shivers families would become friends and moved their families from Omega, Ga to Jacksonville, FL in search of a better way of life.

In the late 1950’s, Bob’s company transferred them from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, FL where they would stay permanently and spread their roots. The household increased over the next several years with the arrivals of five children: Russell, Gary, Lavonne, Wesley and Calvin. As the children grew older, Betty began to start her own career with Leon County School Cafeteria and would retire from the county after more than 30 years of service.

As the kids became adults and moved on to begin their lives, Betty and Bob would see their family grow to include 11 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Camping, fishing, hunting, sports, Canasta, dominoes, Sunday dinner and countless holidays were all part of the Shivers family traditions. Life would bring challenges and changes, and it included the passing of her long-time husband, Bob. Betty found love a second time and married Neal McPherson and remained married to Neal until his passing.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, John & Eva Powell, her brother, Windell Powell, her son Russell Shivers, her husband’s, Bob Shivers and Neal McPherson, her granddaughters, Rachel Shivers and Amanda Shivers, her great grandsons, Landon Greene and Zander Shivers.

She is survived by four children, Gary, Lavonne, Wesley and Calvin and by several grandchildren, great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild and countless friends, including Susan Peterson, who is like a second daughter.