Betty Jo Botts

After 94 wonderful years of life, Betty Breeding Botts went home to be with Jesus early Monday morning, January 26, 2026. She was surrounded by family and friends.

Betty was born to Sidney E. and Ruby L. Nottingham Breeding on October 4, 1931 in Nottingham Station, VA. She lived there until they moved to Sullivan County so she could attend high school at Sullivan. It was during high school that she met her husband, Bill Botts and they were married for 69 years before his death in 2018.

She first worked at Grosset & Dunlap Book Publishers and became head of a department at age nineteen. She eventually returned to college and completed a Bachelor’s degree at East Tennessee State University. After that, she spent several years substitute teaching while her daughter was young, and then accepted a position as the secretary for the District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church where she worked for many years until retirement.

Betty loved Jesus and was an active member of Vermont United Methodist Church for over 40 years and then a member of Ridgeview Baptist Church for the past 35 years. At Vermont, Betty sang in the choir, played the piano, played in the handbell choir, and kept the nursery for many years. She was given the Life Member award by the United Methodist Women.

She had a servant’s heart and loved helping and serving others. But her primary focus was being a mom to her daughter, Tina, and then being a grandmother to her granddaughter, Abbie. She was actively involved with the Vermont youth group, the Cedar Grove Elementary PTA, and the Ketron High School Band Boosters while Tina was growing up. She was also awarded a Life Member pin by the Cedar Grove PTA.

Betty was an avid crafter. She loved creating beautiful quilts, cross-stitch, knitting, and other types of crafts. Nothing thrilled her more than giving one of her beautiful quilts to a family member or friend. If you have been the recipient of one of her quilts, we would love for you to leave a comment below.

She also loved children and they loved her. Many neighborhood children came to her home often over the years to play games and just hang out with her.

Betty is survived by her daughter, Tina Merker and her husband Todd, granddaughter Abbie Merker, sister Mary Cumbow, brother Jack Breeding, sister-in-law Ann Breeding, and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Sidney and Ruby Breeding, her sister Patsy Campbell and husband Lonas, brother Kenneth Breeding, brother-in-law Denver Cumbow, sister-in-law Billie Breeding, and nephews Paul Breeding and Denny Cumbow.

Betty was blessed to also have the following people who were family to her – Charlene and Pete Clark, Laura and Wendell Smith, Bryan Clark, Madison & Hunter Hart (and children), Makenna and Browden Anderson, and Melissa Jones.

A special thanks to friends Barbara and Alan Dennis, Frankie and Gary Yankee, Sharon Jones, Carolyn Brooks, Cindi Griswold, the Impact Teams at Ridgeview Baptist Church, and many others who helped her in so many ways over the past several years and made it possible for her to continue to live in her beloved home after her husband died. And a special acknowledgement of Pastor Jon Rogers of Ridgeview Baptist Church who faithfully visited, encouraged, and prayed for Betty for many, many years. Thank you for changing all those light bulbs.

Visitation will be at Hamlett Dobson Funeral Home on Sunday, February 1, 2026 from 2-4pm, with a Celebration of Life service following at 4pm. Burial will be on Monday, February 2nd at 1pm at Oak Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ridgeview Baptist Church Impact Team, who were such a blessing to Betty.