Betty Irene Birdsong, 77

Betty Irene Birdsong was born July 23, 1922, in Lyndon Kan., to Wilbur and Edith Smith Goldsmith. She passed away early Friday morning, May 12, 2000, at her home in Bradleyville at the age of 77.

In the late 1930s, she and her family moved to Collins. There she met and married Ralph Shockley Birdsong. They were married Feb 14, 1940, recently celebrating their 60 years of marriage. To this union, five children were born: Glenda, Judy, Louise, Bob and Bill. After living for many years in Schell City, in 1954, Ralph and Betty moved their family to Independence. Betty went to work for Safeway Stores, Inc., as a meat wrapper, where she retired after almost 30 years. In 1983 Ralph and Betty moved to their lake house at Cedar Creek where they resided until April 1996. In 1996, they moved in with their daughter Glenda Day and husband, where she resided until her passing.

Betty was saved by the Lord Jesus in the mid 1940s at the Flat Rock Baptist Church at Schell City, later moving her membership to Hickory Grove Baptist Church near Humansville, where her father-in-law was the pastor.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilbur and Edith Goldsmith, a sister, Mary Lou Boles; a daughter, Judy Ann Tennill Alcox; and a great-grand-daughter, Sabrina Lee Cassidy.

Betty is survived by her husband, Ralph of the home, 2 daughters, 2 sons, a sister, a brother, 11 grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Family visitation was held Sunday at Kisscc Funeral Home, Forsyth. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday at New Mansion General Baptist Church on DD Highway, near Bradleyville, with burial in Day Memorial Cemetery on the family farm south of Bradleyville.