Betty Long

On Friday, May 1, Shirley Elizabeth Long, aka Betty went home to be with Jesus. She has been preparing for the journey since she was baptized at the age of 12 by Brother Bunch in Village Creek. Betty's faith has always been a vitally important part of her life. She has always given unconditional love and acceptance to everyone. She has been God's hands and feet in this world her entire life. Her family and friends have been blessed with a real life example of God's grace.
Betty was born on September 13, 1933 in San Francisco, California. She was the second child of David Dudley Harris and Sammie Virginia Jameson. As a small child, Betty, or "Tiny" as her family called her, moved to Texas with her mother and brother, Richard. When Betty was seven years old, her mother married George Roy Joplin. The family bought a farm near Burleson. Betty loved living on the farm. She and her best friend, Gurney played all over the 38 acres. She excelled in sports and especially loved baseball. Betty attended Rendon Elementary School , Burleson High School and Mansfield High School.
When Betty was about 14 she went to a baseball game and fell in love with the voice calling the game. Later she met and fell in love with the man behind the voice, Ray Long. They married in July 1949. In July 1950 Ray and Betty were blessed with their first child, Shirley Ann. Ray joined the Navy in 1952 and moved the family to San Diego, California . Paula Rae was born in San Diego in1953. After Ray left the Navy in 1954, the Long's moved back to Rendon Texas where Roy David was born in 1957. Betty and Ray raised their children surrounded by caring neighbors who became family. Betty was one of the neighborhood "Moms". Together with Frances Selman , Juanita Evartt and Jean Luttrell , they made sure that all of the kids were loved and safe.
Betty started nursing school in 1960. She worked as a surgical nurse at All Saints Hospital for over 25 years. She retired from All Saints and went to work at Huguley in Surgery. She worked there for five years and then took time off to care for her mother and Ray. After she lost them, she went back to work at Huguley until health issues forced her to retire in 1998. Betty loved being a nurse. She was very dedicated and hard working. Over the years, she made many wonderful friends in the medical field. Several of the All Saints crew went to work together at Huguley. Delores Beeman and Betty worked together from 1968 until Betty retired.
Although nursing was a huge part of her life, nothing came close to the joy she felt being a grandmother. Betty's grandchildren became her life. Being a great-grandmother was icing on the cake. Betty is lovingly known to many, many people as Granny.
Betty is survived by her brother, Richard Harris, daughters Shirley Witt and husband Ken, daughter Paula Diker and husband Jim, grandson Kevin Witt and wife April, granddaughter Shanna Sikkes and husband Steve, granddaughter Misti Schroll and husband David, granddaughter Stacey McGee and husband Trey, grandson Matthew Click, granddaughter Crystal Long and Johnny Lopez and grandson Samuel Long. She is also survived by her great grandchildren, Daniel Witt, Isaiah Jaurequi, Hannah Witt, Rudy Jaurequi, Abigail Sikkes, Molly Sikkes, Joseph Witt, Bridget Sikkes, Colton Sikkes, and Travis Sikkes. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Ray Long , sons, Roy David, Samuel Wayne and Richard Mark, mother Sammie Jameson , father David Harris, stepfather Roy Joplin, step mother Bertha Harris, sister Gail Miller, stepbrother Roy Wells Joplin, granddaughter Sarah Click and grandson Joshua Click .
Donations may be made to: Arms of Hope, Medina Texas or York College, York, Nebraska