She had a twinkle in her pale green eyes and a smile on her face which persisted until her final earthly day.
Betty Jean Folks was born on October 15, 1926 to Fred L. and Mary J. Bunch in Rocky, Oklahoma. She earned her angel wings suddenly at 97 years young on the evening of January 29, 2024 as she was being tucked into bed for the night by her attentive caregiver. Her exit was swift and peaceful and she was indeed blessed to fly away to Heaven from her own comfortable bed, her head resting on a pink satin pillowcase so as not to muss her freshly-coifed, snow-white hair. Her family loved her dearly and will miss her terribly.
Family would describe our matriarch as sweet, beautiful, kind, loving, elegant, regal and a force of nature. These words are completely apt, but these descriptions emanated most consistently in recent days in condolences from anyone and everyone who had ever met her. The most-favored characterizations of Betty were that she was simply "classy" and a "picture of grace". This was completely true. She was also a wonderful friend to those who cherished her. Betty had a shining personality and one would rarely meet a feistier five-foot tall (barely), one-hundred pound dynamo. She was not only beautiful but compassionate and generous. She was a doting, wonderful mother to two children and a beloved "Gran" to four grandchildren. In August 2023, she joyously welcomed her only great grandchild. Notable as the family recollected memories was agreement that no one ever can remember her complaining – about ANYTHING. She was always consistently even-keeled. Never too high, never too low. Never ruffled.
She was the valedictorian of her senior class at Rocky High School and later attended the University of Arkansas where she was the "outstanding pledge" of her Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was honored and excited to receive her 75-year pin in 2020 when it was presented to her at her home by a large gathering of local alumni and collegiate members.
Her college career was cut short after one year when she fell in love with her husband-to-be of 70 years. She and Dale Folks were introduced by one of her best friends at a baseball game in Weatherford, Oklahoma, where this "cute sailor, home on leave, with the bushiest eyebrows and bluest eyes I've ever seen" stole her heart. "That's the boy I'm going to marry", she told family and friends. The romance blossomed and on October 9, 1948, that prediction came true. They were married in her parent's home in Rocky, Oklahoma. As their blissful marriage aged, Dale enjoyed introducing Betty as "my first wife". Wherever they walked, they always sweetly held hands. They were truly devoted to one another.
Betty and Dale had a wonderful life. They started out in Rocky, relocated to Hobart in 1965, then to Edmond, Oklahoma in 1995. Betty was a homemaker extraordinaire, devoting herself fully to her family. She was known as an incredible cook and was famous for her pies, especially her specialty, lemon chess pie. She was a gifted decorator, very creative, and an artist skilled in many mediums, but especially in oils, specializing in still life. She and Dale traveled the world together, meeting many interesting people on their journeys and always staying in touch with those people. Betty would send dozens of birthday cards, Christmas cards, thank you notes and letters expressing her joy and enthusiasm for life. She wrote the best letters and note enclosures and her exact, perfect penmanship was a source of pride to her and amazement to others. She savored the change in seasons and decorating for every holiday with a flair unique only to her.
In the early 1980s, Betty and Dale fell in love with an area in southwestern Colorado in the San Juan range of the Rockies, buying some land and building a cabin which is one of the greatest things they ever did together for themselves and their family. Their cabin on Spring Creek, near Almont, provided endless enjoyment and still does. They began spending entire summers there, establishing themselves as doers and shakers in the Taylor River/Spring Creek Canyon, as it is called. They organized jeep trips and parties that a myriad of their neighbors and friends enjoyed. They participated in monthly golf scrambles at the local golf course and absolutely relished this fun and active lifestyle while cementing meaningful, lasting relationships. The scramble teams always wanted Betty in their foursome as she was a dead-eye putter. Betty was also known to don a pair of waders and go fly-fishing with Dale.
Always impeccably attired, Betty was stylish and enjoyed having fun, sometimes donning a plastic tiara when family referred to her as Queen Betty. She was sporty, enjoying tennis and golf, and would enthusiastically join in a baseball whiffle ball game on family picnics. She loved sports. All sports. She would endlessly watch golf, basketball, football, softball and the Olympics with gusto. For many seasons, Dale and Betty attended University of Oklahoma football games and she cheered for the Sooners relentlessly.
Betty was an animal lover who could never resist feeding the stray cats which proliferated in her neighborhood. Word got around the cat community and at last count, she was taking care of at least four feral kitties on a daily basis. This practice attracted not only cats, but opossums, raccoons and even skunks happy for a meal and drink of water. On one instance, the family recalls having Christmas brunch together at Dale and Betty's when a skunk arrived for the celebration and was on the other side of the glass door behind Dale. In his gruff, scratchy voice, he bellowed, "Your mother and her damn critters!" She was just too tender-hearted to discourage any scavenger.
Betty was a 50-year member of P.E.O. She was a Christian and first a member of The Methodist Church in Hobart, then later a member of The Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City, where she and Dale initiated construction of the columbarium within the church. When physical limitations prevented her regular attendance, she very much enjoyed the broadcast each Sunday on local TV of St. Luke's Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. She modeled kindness and compassion for her family, leaning mightily on her ideal of living by The Golden Rule.
Betty was preceded in death by Dale Folks and had missed him for almost five years. She is survived by daughter, Jayne Underwood and husband, Gary; son, David Folks and wife, Diane; grandchildren, Tyler Underwood; Tanner Underwood and wife, Ashley; Dr. Garrett Folks; Reagan Folks; and newest addition, great-grandson, Marshall Underwood.
A service celebrating Betty's life will be at 2:00pm on Thursday, February 8th at Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City. A reception will immediately follow the service at Gaillardia Country Club. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Peppers Ranch or the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
She had a twinkle in her pale green eyes and a smile on her face which persisted until her final earthly day.
Betty Jean Folks was born on October 15, 1926 to Fred L. and Mary J. Bunch in Rocky, Oklahoma. She earned her angel wings suddenly at 97 years young on the evening of January 29, 2024 as she was being tucked into bed for the night by her attentive caregiver. Her exit was swift and peaceful and she was indeed blessed to fly away to Heaven from her own comfortable bed, her head resting on a pink satin pillowcase so as not to muss her freshly-coifed, snow-white hair. Her family loved her dearly and will miss her terribly.
Family would describe our matriarch as sweet, beautiful, kind, loving, elegant, regal and a force of nature. These words are completely apt, but these descriptions emanated most consistently in recent days in condolences from anyone and everyone who had ever met her. The most-favored characterizations of Betty were that she was simply "classy" and a "picture of grace". This was completely true. She was also a wonderful friend to those who cherished her. Betty had a shining personality and one would rarely meet a feistier five-foot tall (barely), one-hundred pound dynamo. She was not only beautiful but compassionate and generous. She was a doting, wonderful mother to two children and a beloved "Gran" to four grandchildren. In August 2023, she joyously welcomed her only great grandchild. Notable as the family recollected memories was agreement that no one ever can remember her complaining – about ANYTHING. She was always consistently even-keeled. Never too high, never too low. Never ruffled.
She was the valedictorian of her senior class at Rocky High School and later attended the University of Arkansas where she was the "outstanding pledge" of her Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was honored and excited to receive her 75-year pin in 2020 when it was presented to her at her home by a large gathering of local alumni and collegiate members.
Her college career was cut short after one year when she fell in love with her husband-to-be of 70 years. She and Dale Folks were introduced by one of her best friends at a baseball game in Weatherford, Oklahoma, where this "cute sailor, home on leave, with the bushiest eyebrows and bluest eyes I've ever seen" stole her heart. "That's the boy I'm going to marry", she told family and friends. The romance blossomed and on October 9, 1948, that prediction came true. They were married in her parent's home in Rocky, Oklahoma. As their blissful marriage aged, Dale enjoyed introducing Betty as "my first wife". Wherever they walked, they always sweetly held hands. They were truly devoted to one another.
Betty and Dale had a wonderful life. They started out in Rocky, relocated to Hobart in 1965, then to Edmond, Oklahoma in 1995. Betty was a homemaker extraordinaire, devoting herself fully to her family. She was known as an incredible cook and was famous for her pies, especially her specialty, lemon chess pie. She was a gifted decorator, very creative, and an artist skilled in many mediums, but especially in oils, specializing in still life. She and Dale traveled the world together, meeting many interesting people on their journeys and always staying in touch with those people. Betty would send dozens of birthday cards, Christmas cards, thank you notes and letters expressing her joy and enthusiasm for life. She wrote the best letters and note enclosures and her exact, perfect penmanship was a source of pride to her and amazement to others. She savored the change in seasons and decorating for every holiday with a flair unique only to her.
In the early 1980s, Betty and Dale fell in love with an area in southwestern Colorado in the San Juan range of the Rockies, buying some land and building a cabin which is one of the greatest things they ever did together for themselves and their family. Their cabin on Spring Creek, near Almont, provided endless enjoyment and still does. They began spending entire summers there, establishing themselves as doers and shakers in the Taylor River/Spring Creek Canyon, as it is called. They organized jeep trips and parties that a myriad of their neighbors and friends enjoyed. They participated in monthly golf scrambles at the local golf course and absolutely relished this fun and active lifestyle while cementing meaningful, lasting relationships. The scramble teams always wanted Betty in their foursome as she was a dead-eye putter. Betty was also known to don a pair of waders and go fly-fishing with Dale.
Always impeccably attired, Betty was stylish and enjoyed having fun, sometimes donning a plastic tiara when family referred to her as Queen Betty. She was sporty, enjoying tennis and golf, and would enthusiastically join in a baseball whiffle ball game on family picnics. She loved sports. All sports. She would endlessly watch golf, basketball, football, softball and the Olympics with gusto. For many seasons, Dale and Betty attended University of Oklahoma football games and she cheered for the Sooners relentlessly.
Betty was an animal lover who could never resist feeding the stray cats which proliferated in her neighborhood. Word got around the cat community and at last count, she was taking care of at least four feral kitties on a daily basis. This practice attracted not only cats, but opossums, raccoons and even skunks happy for a meal and drink of water. On one instance, the family recalls having Christmas brunch together at Dale and Betty's when a skunk arrived for the celebration and was on the other side of the glass door behind Dale. In his gruff, scratchy voice, he bellowed, "Your mother and her damn critters!" She was just too tender-hearted to discourage any scavenger.
Betty was a 50-year member of P.E.O. She was a Christian and first a member of The Methodist Church in Hobart, then later a member of The Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City, where she and Dale initiated construction of the columbarium within the church. When physical limitations prevented her regular attendance, she very much enjoyed the broadcast each Sunday on local TV of St. Luke's Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. She modeled kindness and compassion for her family, leaning mightily on her ideal of living by The Golden Rule.
Betty was preceded in death by Dale Folks and had missed him for almost five years. She is survived by daughter, Jayne Underwood and husband, Gary; son, David Folks and wife, Diane; grandchildren, Tyler Underwood; Tanner Underwood and wife, Ashley; Dr. Garrett Folks; Reagan Folks; and newest addition, great-grandson, Marshall Underwood.
A service celebrating Betty's life will be at 2:00pm on Thursday, February 8th at Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City. A reception will immediately follow the service at Gaillardia Country Club. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Peppers Ranch or the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
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