Betty Jo Walker Oxley
Betty Jo Walker Oxley passed away peacefully in her home September 13, 2021. She was 85. She is survived by her children, Terri Acklin (Ansel); Laura Ford (Dale); Colleen Crow (Chad); Jakey Oxley (Kristy McComic); and Jarrett Rule (Jamie); twelve grandchildren, Heather; Holly; Emmy; Tyler; Hunter; Josh; Logan; Karley; Jacob; Cameron; Walker; and Macy; seventeen great-grandchildren; two sisters, Bobbie Wynn (WJ) of Hemphill, Texas; and Sarah Pilcher (Charles) of Many; and one brother, Benny Walker (Joy) of Milam, Texas; She also had two precious caregivers: Brandee Arnold and Brenda Nelson.
She is preceded in death by twin infant sons, Johnny Walker and Jackie Rebert; one daughter, Diane Oxley Thomas; and two brothers, Donnie Walker and J.C. Walker, Jr.;
Betty was born in Many on January 15, 1936. She was the daughter of the late J.C. Walker and Doris White Walker. She was the oldest of six children, three girls, and three boys. She grew up right here in Sabine Parish, and this was home for most of her life. She was a 1953 graduate of Negreet High School. Later in life, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University with a major in English and a minor in History.
She is known by several names by those who loved her: Betty Jo, Mrs. Oxley, Mrs. O, Mom, and Momma Betty. She is well known in the community for her long and successful teaching career of 42 years. Over the course of her career, she taught at Ebarb, Zwolle, Pleasant Hill, Franklin, and of course, Negreet. She loved Negreet High School and the students and faculty there like a second family. There are many of her prior students who would quickly tell you that she is their most memorable teacher and the one that they feel helped them become successful. She loved sports and traveled to all the basketball games and baseball games she could, keeping individual player stats and going over them with the players after the games.
As an English teacher, she loved literature and grammar. She could quote poems and lines from books on demand. She loved History also, especially American History.
She was known for her wonderful cooking. At school, she would host fundraisers by selling her delicious chili suppers and baked goods. She made the best gumbo, Thanksgiving dressing, and chocolate pies that many of us have ever had. She even catered events around the parish with her daughters and granddaughters in tow as her worker bees.She was a gardener and loved plants. She worked in her yard until she wasn’t able to anymore. But her greatest accomplishment was her family. Anyone that knew her knew how proud she was of her family. She would say she had three doctors, one PTA, one OT, two RNs, four teachers, one coach, and the best carpenter there was! She loved her great grandchildren and loved watching them play ball.
When the elderly pass away, a library is lost and volumes of wisdom and knowledge are forever gone. This is so true when it comes to our Momma Betty, our mom. She had a beautiful mind!
Pallbearers are: Walker Rule, Tyler Ford, Hunter Ford, Josh Crow, Logan Crow, Jacob Oxley, Collyn Crow, and Clayton Crow.
