Ranger Exes Memorial - RHS Class of 1940

BETTY RUSSELL BEGGS, 91, our beloved mother and grandmother went home to heaven to be with her Lord on Jan. 20, 2015, with burial was next to her beloved husband at the Cross Plains Memorial Cemetery in Cross Plains, TX. She began her life in Ranger, TX on Sept. 22, 1923 to Charlie Russell & Lola Wolfe Russell. Betty graduated from Ranger High in 1940, completed lab tech training in 1942, attended TCU in 1947, then graduated from Howard Payne University in 2000. As part of the greatest generation, Betty worked in Corpus Christi as a lab technician and lost her brother in WWII. She later married her high school sweetheart in January of 1948. As Betty and J.T. Beggs, they had 4 sons, Rusty, Kim, Rex and Troy. Her lab technician skills landed her jobs at Brownwood, DeLeon, Cisco and other hospitals. She loved the technical skills required in the laboratory. Her love of travel was infectious, including visits to Hawaii, Acapulco, Mexico City, New York, Chicago, Hollywood, most of Colorado, most of Texas and a good bit of Europe. She loved her church and was a member of First Baptist Cross Plains & the Dorcus/ Ruth Sunday School Class. She enjoyed mission work and was active in WMU, she and made several mission trips and even invited an exchange student from Mongolia to stay with her home. She completed her education with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science from Howard Payne University in 2000. She began her degree before J.T. and the boys. Betty retained a lifelong passion for art, completing early at the age of 11 & continuing to complete art projects on her own or with any grand or great-grandchild that would sit still, until her passing. She was a member of several local art clubs and displayed her works at art shows all over Texas. She is preceded in death by her parents; 2 brothers, Charlie Floyd Russell (RHS-1937) and Orval Lee Russell; husband and son, Troy Lincoln Beggs. At the time of her death, she was survived by her 3 sons, Rusty and Reba Beggs, Kim and Mary Beggs, and Rex and Edith Beggs. Grandchildren, Danyel Bottoms, Charissa Beggs-Hilder, David Beggs, Nikki Patterson, Ashley Moses and Tony Beggs; great-grandchildren 14 and 2 great-great- grandchildren. HUSBAND: JOHN T. BEGGS, 73, died Nov. 25, 1994, with burial was in the Cross Plains Memorial Park in Cross Plains, TX. He was born on March 15, 1921 & married Betty Russell (RHS-1940). John served in the U.S. Army.