Betty Sue (Dillard) Hawkins was born October 18, 1941 in Sims, Arkansas to Wilmon Green Dillard and Esther Rebecca (Phillips) Dillard. She married Paul Hawkins on June 29, 1962. Betty was a loving and caring person who always put others before herself. Betty went to be with her Lord and Savior, Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at her home in Olathe, Kansas surrounded by her loving family.She was 82 years old.
Betty started working on her family’s farm at a young age peeling fence posts with her brothers. She was known for working just as hard and sometimes outworking them. They received a penny for each post peeled. After high school she worked at a glove factory until she married. Betty and her husband, Paul, met and married in Arkansas and then moved to the Kansas City area in 1963. Betty had several jobs in retail including Sears Surplus, Home Quarters, and Dillards. She had perfect attendance at Sears for 20 years. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, going to her children’s sporting events, and looking for bargains when she shopped. She enjoyed game night with her friends at church, as well as playing dominoes and card games with her family. Betty was an avid KU and Arkansas Razorbacks basketball fan as well as the Kansas City Chiefs. She loved to listen to Elvis on the radio.
Betty leaves behind one daughter, Paula (Scott) Whitehead of Lenexa, Kansas and one son, Shannon (Julie) Hawkins of Olathe, Kansas. She will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Melissa (Derek) Bradshaw, Grant (Savanna) Whitehead, Taylor Hawkins, Vanessa (Chris) Patton; two great grandsons: Ellis and Ethan Patton. Betty is also survived by two siblings: Charles Dillard and Kathy (Loyd) Lewis; as well as, brother in law Bill (Valva) Hawkins, brother in law Clifford Daily. Betty will be missed by the many whose lives she impacted, including a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family, friends, members of her Sunday School class and neighbors she loved dearly.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Hawkins of 59 years, her parents Wilmon and Esther Dillard, sister Lillie Belle (Dillard) Bryant, brother Kenneth Dillard.
Visitation will be on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., with celebration of life following at 10:00 a.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Wally Beckman officiating. Interment to follow at Hawkins Cemetery in Parks, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Betty’s pallbearers will be Grant Whitehead, Derek Bradshaw, Keith Saveall, Jamie Saveall, Drake Hawkins, and Dane Hawkins.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hawkins Cemetery, ℅Chambers Bank, PO Box 838, Waldron, AR 72958 or Waldron First Church of the Nazarene, 1816 Rice St, Waldron, AR 72958.
