Bette Edwards

Bette Marie Smith Edwards, 83, of McKenzie, died Sunday September 6, 2015 at McKenzie Health Care Center following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Funeral services will be held at the Cedar Avenue Chapel of Brummitt-McKenzie Funeral Home on Friday, September 11 at 11:00 a.m. with the Reverend Byron Forester officiating. Burial will follow at Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church cemetery in McKenzie. Bette was born November 16, 1931 to the late Durell Brooks Smith and Annie Lee Lankford Smith. She wed Buddy (Max M.) Edwards November 10, 1967 and theirs was a glorious marriage. He preceded her in death. Her first marriage had been to D.K. (Kenny) Mitchum. Bette was a graduate of McKenzie High School and a member of Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Holmes Community College Sports Hall of Fame and the Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame. Her skill and competitive drive for excellence in whatever she did exhibited themselves as she played basketball and bridge, in sewing, dancing, and cooking and as an accurate and avid hunter. Other passions were reading, classic movies and, yes Elvis Presley. Prior to her illness, she was active in her church and community in various roles of service. Her most valued role was as wife, mother and homemaker, which she made her life's work. Together Buddy and Bette parented Mary Ann (Steve) Baker, Mark Mitchum, Carie Neal (Dan) Bradfield, Kathy (Jeff) Meyers, Lora Lee (Rick) Goforth and Bub (Dian) Edwards, all of whom survive. Their home was opened to numerous friends, students and family members for extended periods of time as personal needs arose. It was also a regular site of celebrations that drew many beyond the immediate family. Bette is also survived by beloved daughter-in-law Sherry, 14 grandchildren, Stephanie(Tim) Rogers, Roger (Melanie)Baker, Brooks, Luke and Witt Mitchum, Julie Bradfield, Lisa(Ryan) Griffin, Jana(Bubba) Stafford, Brian (Kristin)Meyers, Laura (Jeremy) Clemmer, Blake (Amber) and Mark( Christy) Goforth, Ben and Rachel Edwards and great-grandchildren Timothy and Julianne Rogers, Nicholas and Delta Baker, Lute McCaslin, Seth Stafford, Brayden Cooley, Presley Goforth and Georgia Kate Goforth. In addition to her parents and husband she was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Douglas Smith and a great-granddaughter Lila Ruth Griffin. The family requests memorials are made to The Pat Summitt foundation, online or at 520 W. Summitt Hill Drive, Suite 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902.