Bettie Cavanaugh

Bettie Sue (Burkett) (Yates) Cavanaugh died January 31, 2022, at her home in Abilene, Texas. Services will be held at First Baptist Church, Cross Plains, Texas on Saturday, February 12th at 2:00 PM with visitation prior to the service at 1:00 PM in the church sanctuary. Bettie was born February 21, 1940 in Santa Anna, Texas to Henry Nolan and Allie Pearl (Hill) Burkett, She was the granddaughter of Coleman County pioneers John Henry and Laura Lou (Clarke) Burkett and Leslie Andrew and Mineola (Howe) Hill. Bettie worked in banking for many years. She was also the secretary at First Baptist Church under Bro. Burlie Taylor for several years, and for Heart of Texas Girl Scouts in Brownwood, as well as a variety of other jobs over the years. She was a Christian. Bettie married L.B. Yates, Jr. on June 23, 1956 in Coleman, Texas and later divorced. She went on to marry Morris Ray Cavanaugh on June 20, 1973 in Abilene, Texas. Morris proceeded her in death on March 5, 2001. Genealogy and researching their family trees was a favorite pastime for Bettie and Morris. After Morris’s death Bettie began to travel and fell in love with Santa Fe and the surrounding high desert areas returning often to enjoy the beautiful sunrises and sunsets over the mountains as well as the people and culture of the area. In 2008, she moved to Santa Fe and spent much of her time volunteering at the various festivals and markets. Bettie was preceded in death by her husband, parents, grandparents, sister, Colleen (Burkett) Gray, son, Jerry Lynn Yates, grandson, Jeffrey Lynn Yates and great-granddaughter Christa Nicole Yates. Bettie is survived by two daughters, Kimberly Anne (Yates) Tatom and husband Lynn of Abilene, TX, Elizabeth Jane (Cavanaugh) Weide and husband David of Bozeman, MT and daughter-in-law Caroline (Berten) Yates of Cross Plains, TX. ; along, with her very special friend and neighbor, Bonnie Davis. She is survived by seven grandchildren, Jacob Alan Tatom of Fort Collins, CO, Angela Michelle (Tatom) Adams and husband Chris of Abilene, TX, Christopher Nolan Yates of Cross Plains, TX and Lauren Michelle (Yates) and Derick Roulain of San Marcos, TX, Megan Elizabeth Weide, Sarah Nicole Weide and Jack Dalton Weide, all of Bozeman, MT. She is also survived by twelve great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Cross Plains Senior Center, PO Box 144, Cross Plains, TX 76443. A very special thanks to Hendrick Hospice for their excellent and compassionate care of our mother.