Betty Sue  Massey Brown

Betty Sue  Massey Brown was born Jan. 18, 1938, in El Dorado, to Johnny Moses and Gladys Jaynie Burks Massey. She was the fifth child of eight born to their union. Finding Christ at an early age, Betty became a member of the First Baptist Church in El Dorado. She joined their choir and took several other assignments while serving in their budding ministries.

Betty attended and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in El Dorado in 1955. From there, she attended and graduated from AM&N (now UAPB) graduating in 1959 with a BS Degree in Education. While at AM&N, she rekindled an old flame with Cecil "Curtis” Brown and on July 24, 1959, they united in marriage. To their union, one daughter, Felicia Monique, was born.

Upon moving to Blytheville, Betty began her career as an educator with the Blytheville School District as a teacher at Central Elementary School. She earned her Masters Degree in Education from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. After 33 years of service with the Blytheville School District she retired in 1993. Realizing that she had more lives to bless, she went to work for MCAEOC Head Start as Center Coordinator retiring in January 2019 as Center Operations Specialist with 25 years of service to Head Start.

Betty joined the illustrious sorority of Delta Sigma Theta, where she served voraciously until her health began to fail. Mrs. Brown was a devoted member of New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Clark Phillips. She was a Church Mother who worked with the youth on Christmas plays and with Vacation Bible School.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Johnny Massey, Jr.; four sisters, Ruby Preston, Margaret Williams, Helen Camper and Ophelia Gillespie. 

Betty passed away Wednesday July 29, 2020, at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, at the age of 82.

She leaves to mourn her passing her husband, Cecil “Curtis” Brown, of the home; a daughter, Felicia Brown-Leach; one granddaughter, Madisson Simmone Lee; a bonus grandson, Reginald Shipman; brother, Harold David (Bobbie) Massey; sister Alberta Massey Howard; a daughter-friend, Jeanette Hoy; a special sister-in-law, Lillie Rachel Massey; a brother-in-law, Robert Gillespie; a god-daughter, Ke’Miaya Ware; six nieces; three nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. 

A walk through visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at McDonald-Horne Funeral Home, 1207 South Division Street, Blytheville.  

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 515 East Sawyer Street, Blytheville. Pastor Clark Phillips will deliver the eulogy with burial to follow at Marianna Memorial Cemetery in Marianna.

McDonald-Horne Funeral Home is in charge of services and arrangements.

Social distancing and mask are required for those family and friends attending the visitation and funeral service.