Betty June Griffith, age 95 years and 11 months, passed away on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at Fowler Residential Care in Fowler, KS.

She was born in the church parsonage at Placentia, California on June 13, 1927, the second daughter of Rolland E Griffith and Elsie Riggins Griffith.  Her growing up years were spent in Oroville, CA.  A few days after Betty's eleventh birthday, her mother passed away, leaving Betty and her siblings forced to grow up faster than normal.  Her Aunt Edna was a great blessing during these years, providing the stability needed.  Betty's father, whom she loved dearly, was a pastor, evangelist, and missionary in the Church of the Nazarene, traveling much of the time in itinerant ministry.

During her youth, Betty and her family picked prunes one summer.  She cleaned houses, helped out in the garden, and did what she could to earn money.  Her family would have been considered poor by world standards, but they were rich in love and spiritual growth.  During  World War II, Betty, age 18, worked in the shipyards, delivering messages by motor scooter where needed.

On June 12, 1946, Betty graduated from Richmond Union High School in Richmond, California; the day before her 19th birthday; the day after, she married the love of her life, Sidney E. Jackson, in Richmond, California.  She met Sid upon his discharge from the Army following World War II.  They fell in love and with Sid's call to pastor, Betty was determined to be a helpmate and support to him in ministry.  He enrolled in Pasadena College in the fall of 1947, majoring in Religion and determined to preach the gospel.  The happy couple lived on trailer row with many other newly married veterans.  In their second year of marriage, they rode a motorcycle to Canada and back, encountering many delightful as well as hair raising experiences on that trip.   While still in college, they began to supply pastor in Crestline, a small church up in the mountains close to Pasadena.

With Sid's college graduation in 1951, the couple began a lifelong ministry, pastoring mainly in California, but also in Nevada, Iowa, Saskatchewan, and Nebraska.

To their union were born two sons, Paul Edward Jackson,1948, and John Robert Jackson, 1954.   Both sons followed in their father's and grandfather's footsteps in ministry in the Church of the Nazarene, John as a youth leader and Paul as a song evangelist.  The boys loved to sing together and would occasionally get Betty to join them in giving a "Tarzan yell " in trio.  In 1967, Paul was in a terrible motorcycle accident in his senior year of high school.  In 1988, John, in his first years of ministry, suddenly went to be with Jesus.  Both experiences were hard to live through, but Betty was conscious of the never failing strength and peace God gave her.

Betty described herself as a "handmaid of the Lord, and a helpmate" for her husband—whatever Sid needed her to do, she did with God's help.  Through the years, she taught Sunday School for various age levels, sang specials, helped with the Nazarene missions program, entertained in the parsonage, worked as a camp counselor, and raised two wonderful boys to serve Jesus wholeheartedly.

In 1997, Betty & Sid moved to Meade, KS to be close to their son and daughter-in-love, Paul & Trish Jackson.   They were an encouragement to the Meade community, socializing at the BEAM Center, picking up trash on the streets around the community, and loving on their Meade Nazarene church family.

Late in 2007, Betty's oldest son, Paul, was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and passed away in 2009, after a lengthy battle.  Betty was thankful she was there to support Paul & Trish during this time in their lives.

In her spare time, Betty loved to sew quilts and design clothing out of whatever she had on hand.  She also spent much time reading God's Word and other inspirational books.  It was a great sorrow to her when she could no longer see well enough to do those things due to advancing macular degeneration.

Sid passed away in 2012, leaving Betty and his small dog, "Mitzi."  Although Betty had not been crazy about having another dog when Sid brought it home several years earlier, she came to depend on Mitzi to be her eyes and ears during the last several years.  Mitzi was a faithful companion until she died of old age shortly before Betty's 94th birthday.

With Sid's passing, it seemed that Betty "came out of her shell," loving on people wherever she found them.  She was no longer able to get out and about, so she relied on the Lord to bring people to her and never failed to give a witness for the Lord and His soon return.  She continued to attend church as she was able and had a testimony and a loving hug for everyone she met there.  Folks were used to her getting right in their faces to ask, "Now, who are you???"  and "What's that, you say?"  Macular degeneration and loss of hearing did not keep her from getting acquainted and encouraging those around her.

After a bout with COVID-19, she entered the Fowler Residential Care facility in January of 2022, continuing to be a blessing to those around her.  In her final days, her greatest desire was to be with Jesus and to take as many with her as she could.

Betty was a member of the Church of the Nazarene and the Family Alliance for Christian Temperance. Her testimony in a nutshell would be:  Don't put off turning your life over to Jesus and trusting in Him.  He has supplied every need and more.  He is sufficient for this life and the one to come.

On May 3, 2023, Betty passed from this world into the loving arms of her Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Roland and Elsie Griffith, husband, Sidney Jackson, sons,  Paul and John Jackson, sisters, Roberta Griffith Wiseman, Ann Griffith, Kay Adcock, and brothers-in-law, Keith Wiseman and Les Adcock.  She leaves behind her daughter-in-love, Trish Jackson Reimer, a brother, Rolland Griffith (Donna) of Medford, OR, a half-sister, Connie Patrick (Bill), Hermitage, TN, two grandchildren, Gloria Custes (Jay) and Bart Marshall (Tiffany) of Louisville, KY, eleven great grandchildren, and a host of friends and extended family.  Her winsome smile and her sharp witticisms will be greatly missed by all.

A Memorial service will be held at the Meade Church of the Nazarene at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May 22, 2023. Inurnment will follow in Graceland Cemetery, Meade, KS.  Memorials may be given to Nazarene Missions International (NMI) in care of Meade Church of the Nazarene for use in building churches.