Betty Hendershott

Betty Lou Hendershott, 61, of Burfordville died Friday, Jan. 28, 2011, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home in Marble Hill, Mo.

She was born March 5, 1949, during a snowstorm in rural Bollinger County, daughter of Edna and Willie Reagan, and was the youngest of five children. Over the last two years she battled cancer.

Betty graduated from Patton High School in 1967 and married Larry Hendershott March 15, 1969.

In 1986 she was the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University. She found employment as a social worker and considered it more of a calling than a job. She had a special place in her heart for those less fortunate and for the people in rural areas.

Anyone who knew Betty was aware of her love for people, her family, art, quilting and yellow cats.

Survivors include her husband, Larry, of 42 years; a daughter, Emily Wulf of Rogers, Ark.; a son, Arron Hendershott of Marble Hill; siblings, Mary Green of St. Charles, Mo., Glen Reagan of Festus, Mo., Linda Sitze of Park Hills, Mo., Jimmy Reagan of Patton, Mo.; and three grandchildren, Cheyenne Hendershott, Hunter Hendershott and Trevor Wulf.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Patrick Tankersley officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview United Methodist Church Cemetery near Millersville.

The family suggests memorial donations be made to Marble Hill Food Pantry, c/o Marge Mouser, P.O. Box 311, Marble Hill, MO 63764.

Sympathy messages may be sent to the family online at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.