Betty Thomas

Betty was better known as Mom to many, and Aunt B to others. Even those that were not her own kids, she would claim them as if they were her own.

Mom was born in Lefthand, WV. If you know where that is, please let her sons know, because only 1 of her kids can tell you. She always claimed Logan, WV as her home.

Believe it or not, Mom was born by another name. She was adopted at an early age by Frank and Rosie Bryant. As a child, she would tell everyone to call her Betty Lou because she didn’t like her real name. So because she wouldn’t answer to anything but Betty Lou, that became her name.

Not much is known about Mom’s childhood, because she didn’t speak much about to her boys. However, if she was anything like her kids, it was surely a wild ride.

Mom moved to Havelock, NC and lived with her sister Mae and Lionel (Gunny) Collins in the early 1960’s. There, she found the man she would marry, Dick Thomas. After marrying Dick, life got really interesting. Mom would end up raising not only her own kids but her nieces and nephews as well. If having 3 hellion boys wasn’t enough, her sister would send the nieces, nephews and other cousins to spend the summer at Mom’s house.

Even though her boys would never truly grow up, we would get older, have kids of our own, giving Mom other names like Grandma, Nana and Maw Maw.

If anyone would ask Mom, how would you like to be remembered? She would clearly say, “That I loved my Kid’s and Grandchildren more than life itself”.

If anyone ever wondered, did Mom have a favorite child? Just ask the boys, each one would say it was them.

Mom still had a lot of life to live, but God had other plans. Mom will be deeply missed by not only her family but by many others as well.

Sadly, she is preceded in death by her husband, Marvin E. "Dick" Thomas, Sr.; daughter, Shannon Rose Thomas; and her sister, Mae Shelton.

She is survived by her daughter, Kim Collins; sons, John Franklin "Frank" Thomas (Jackie) of Lynchburg, VA, Robert Anthony "Tony" Thomas of New Bern, and Marvin E. "Dickie" Thomas, Jr. (Wendy) of New Bern; grandchildren, Laura, Shannon, Bryan, Jennifer, Kevin, Victoria, Jessica, and Harleigh; 12 great-grandchildren; and special friend, Lynn Lupton.

The family will receive visitors on Sunday, October 30, 2022, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Cotten Funeral Home. A Funeral Service will begin at 2:00 PM. Following the service, Betty will be laid to rest in Greenleaf Memorial Park.

Cotten Funeral Home is honored to serve the family and friends of Betty Thomas. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cottenfuneralhome.com for the Thomas family.