Betty Lou Elliott

Betty Lou Hawkins Elliott, 87 years old, passed away on August 4, 2023, in Wake Forest, NC. Betty Lou still lived in her own home with her dog, three cats, and many bird and squirrel friends who she kept fat and happy! She passed away at home, surrounded by family and friends, after a short stay in the hospital. 

Betty Lou was born to Oliver Jay Hawkins and Enid Lenora Hawkins in Clarksdale, MS, on August 28, 1935. She grew up on a cotton and soybean farm in the Mississippi Delta with her two brothers, Jerry and Shot. From a very young age, she loved animals and always had an assortment of pets. After graduating from high school, Betty Lou attended nursing school in Memphis, TN, and became a registered nurse. While studying and working hard in Memphis, she also met her husband and life partner, Larry Paul Elliott Sr. The young couple married on June 23, 1956.

Betty Lou was a liberated woman from the beginning. She worked at John Gaston Memorial Hospital in Memphis to help support her husband, Larry, while he finished medical school. This in addition to also becoming a young mother with the birth of their first child, Laurie Lou Elliott. Betty Lou and Larry went on to have two more children, Mary Elizabeth Loyd and Larry Paul Elliott Jr. 

Betty Lou was the consummate Southern woman, maintaining her Southern charm and accent even as the family moved north. When they first moved to Minneapolis, Mom used to joke that no one could understand her, but she had trouble understanding them, too! Her accent became less pronounced over the years but not her southern ways. 

Betty Lou was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She always took care of those around her and put family first. Betty Lou is survived by her three children and their spouses, Laurie Lou and Mark Lee Elliott, Mary Beth and Jimmy Loyd, and Larry Paul Elliott and Josh Wiggin, her brother John O. Hawkins and his wife, Sandra Hawkins, and their two sons Jay Hawkins and Jeff Hawkins. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Mark Lee Elliott Jr, Megan Lenora Long, Samuel Brock Elliott, Philip Reid Elliott, and Natalie James Loyd, and three great-grandchildren, Brett Hawkins Long, Easton Mark Long, and Elliott Mae Long.

Betty Lou was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Larry Paul Elliott Sr. and her brother, Clifton J. Hawkins. 

A private memorial service was held at Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home, 1051 Durham Road, Wake Forest, NC.

www.cswfuneralhome.com