Bettye La Verne (Cantrell) Johnson

Bettye Laverne Johnson ( Bettye Red)
7/27/1926 - 2/12/2015
Bettye was born in Fort Worth, T.X. to Frank and Ruby Cantrell ( both deceased)l. A wonderful woman has left us here with empty places in our hearts. She has touched so many lives that we can't even imagine. Never being able to have kids of her own, she raised most of us here in some form or another. Her personality is one of a kind. Our angel here on earth has returned to her rightful place as an angel in heaven with Jesus. She graduated from Lamesa High School in 1944. She moved to New Mexico in 1946 where she lived in Artesia, Roswell, and Lovington. In 1998 she moved to Farmington, NM to live closer to her friends, John and Celestia Keeling and family. Bettye went to church a lot as a child and joined First Baptist church when she was 13 years old. In later years she was baptized at First Baptist Church Kirtland on April 24, 2005, where she was member there until her death. She loved her church and the ladies of her Sunday School class. Bettye enjoyed bowling and she was really good at it. She used to bowl with John Keeling and became family over the years. She told me that one time they won a trophy and her mother got all over her about not giving it to John because he worked for it. She had to get another one made because she wanted a trophy too. She was also a very crafty lady. She crocheted, did decoupage and made these place mats that were just wonderful. She said it took 3975 pulls for her to tie off one of them. She decorated cakes, did plastic canvas and things we never even knew about. The people around her apartment called her the " fix it" lady. Every time they had a problem or needed something fixed, instead of calling maintenance, they would bring it to her if possible if not, they wanted her to come to them. She was one of the most caring people I know. She would do anything for anybody. She had a quote from somewhere that she enjoyed saying " I'll not ask to be remembered, let your memory be at rest. I'd rather be forgotten that remembered by request.'" Her brothers are Bill Cantrell of Fresno, CA; Kenneth Cantrell of Phoenix, AZ; Jimmy Cantrell (deceased); JD Cantrell (deceased) Jerry Cantrell (deceased) and sister Norma Hamick (deceased). A Memorial Service will be held Monday February 16, 2015 at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church of Kirtland. Bettye care is entrusted to Cope Memorial Chapel of Farmington.