Betty Lee Boyd Pennebaker, 92, died Sunday, May 11, 2014. Funeral: 2 p.m. Friday in the sanctuary of Broadway Baptist Church. Interment: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home. Betty was born in Fort Worth on July 10, 1921, to the late Ellis H. Boyd Sr. and Ivie Lee Boyd. She grew up in the Mistletoe Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth and attended Lily B. Clayton Elementary School, graduated from R.L. Paschal High School in 1938 and attended TCU. Like many young women during World War II, she worked as an administrative assistant at the Consolidated Vultee Bomber Plant. At this time, she was married to Army Air Corps Lt. James P. Roberts, whom she met while both were students at TCU. Lt. Roberts died in the service of his country Oct. 1, 1942. While married to Lt. Roberts, she became acquainted with his cousin, James M. Pennebaker, also of Fort Worth. On July 24, 1945, Betty traveled to Cheyenne, Wyo., where she married Lt. Pennebaker who was on rest leave following the sinking of the USS Morrison, a Navy destroyer in the Pacific, on which he was stationed. Betty was baptized at Broadway Baptist Church on March 1, 1929, and remained active in the church her entire life. She taught Sunday school for many years in the Children's Department and volunteered with the International Group, teaching sewing while they practiced English. She also taught special needs children in the Fort Worth public schools for a number of years. Betty and Jim lived a rich and happy life together. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and a significant presence in the lives of her grandchildren. The family would like to extend special thanks to caregivers and friends, Tammi Dykes and Diane Harris, and to the staff at James L. West Center for their loving care of Mother during her illness. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Priscilla Boyd Bearer; and her brother, Ellis H. Boyd Jr. Survivors: Her husband of 68 years, James M. Pennebaker; daughter, Priscilla Lovett and her husband, Bob; daughter, Beverly Murphy and her husband, Tim; son, James Boyd Pennebaker and his wife, Debbi; grandchildren, Lee Anne Wilde and her husband, Aaron, Robert M. Lovettt, Steffani Starry and her husband, Carl, Jeremy Pennebaker and his wife, Tracy, Alex Pennebaker and his wife, Rebecca, and Celest Blair; five great granddaughters; and many much-loved nieces and nephews and good friends.
Published in Star-Telegram on May 14, 2014