Betty Jean Darter Green, 83, passed away July 7, 2014 in Houston, Texas. She was diagnosed in 2009 with Stage 4 breast cancer. At times, we thought she’d whoop that diagnosis and anything else that got in her way.
The first time she went to see Dr. Beth Hellerstedt at the Texas Oncology clinic for an IV, the nurse asked where Betty wanted the IV put. Betty replied: “In someone else’s a_s!” As Lisa Painter and other beloved staff at the time can attest, it was never a dull visit.
Betty Jean was born October 4, 1930 in Teck, Texas and lived most of her life in Austin. She attended Metz Elementary, Allen Junior High, and Austin High School where she graduated in 1948. She loved her Austin High reunions and attended her 65th one in 2013!
After High School, Betty worked at Austin National Bank, attended the University of Texas in 1951 and ‘52, and later became Assistant (formerly called Secretary) to the Concordia University President.
At Concordia, she taught typing to the all-boys-school and escorted them to Chapel each day. This last part shocked her daughter Jerilyn when hearing it years later. Knowing that her Mom tended to cuss like a sailor, Jerilyn asked, “How did you keep from cussing when you worked for a religious school?” Her Mother replied “I didn’t start cussing until you three kids drove me to it!”
In the 1950’s, while out one evening with friends at Dessau Hall, Betty went up to the stage and talked with Jerry K. Green who was singing and playing guitar. Within six weeks, they were married on March 5, 1953 and together through 1976, having three children: Kent, Jerilyn, and Brent.
The decades brought exciting and memorable times in Betty’s career. She became a nurse for Dr. Charles Bailey at Medical Arts Square. He was the friend and physician of President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ). A special memory for Betty was when she got to help deliver LBJ’s first grandchild, born to Luci and Patrick Nugent.
For the rest of her life, Betty’s nickname was “Nurse Green” and she took care of everyone from neighbors to relatives and local disc jockeys like friend Sammy Allred. He once drove straight onto Betty and Jerry’s front yard at midnight to get Nurse Green’s medical care.
In the 1970’s, Betty and Jerry operated Austin Speed-O-Rama – a NASCAR sanctioned, stock car race track off of Highway 183. At the race track, she kept those toilets scrubbed while husband Jerry ran the track operations, their children cleaned up trash, Betty’s Dad collected tickets at the gate, and her Mother sold snow cones.
In the 1980’s, Betty worked for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC).
Betty appreciated nature, especially bluebonnets, butterflies, and little birds. She loved the color pink, funny jokes, flirting, and the smell of good lotions, soaps, and Estee Lauder perfume. A gifted artist, she did beautiful paintings of the Texas hill country and flowers.
Being a survivor of the “Depression” era, Betty was extremely frugal and proud of that, squeezing every drop out of the ketchup bottle and other things she watered down, always thinking of ways to make something last longer or how to re-use the container.
She adored her neighbors and home in Barton Hills (South Austin), had a green thumb, sharp wit, and was very affectionate to others including strangers (regularly reaching out to pat someone on the rump, much to their surprise!).
She was preceded in death by her parents Walter Allen “Slim” Darter and Lillian Pauline (Schneider) Darter of Austin TX; her brother Carl Eugene Darter of San Antonio; paternal grandparents John Allen and Orah Biddie (Odiorne) Darter of Teck (Austin) TX; and maternal grandparents Frank J. and Mary (Ulrich) Schneider of Sweet Home TX. Betty married two additional times. Ex-husbands Glen Dunn Huguenin of New Orleans LA died in 1986 and Leland Rex Henry, Sr. of Tuleta TX died in 2011.
Betty is survived by three children, Kent Darter Green and wife Jeanien in Hendersonville TN, Jerilyn Green in Austin, and Brent Alan Green and wife Tami in Houston – along with grandchildren Hunter, Graci, and Lilli Green, beloved cousins, in-laws or outlaws (as they sometimes called themselves), special nieces, nephews, and cherished friends including Taj Wolff of Brentwood TN, Bille (Bailey) Tilson of College Station TX, and many others.
The burial location is next to her parents, the Darter’s, at Cook Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 W. William Cannon Drive, Austin TX.
Betty loved showing a spontaneous, caring gesture to people (often strangers), pets, and disregarded plants. Anything you do to show care for them is something that would have made her smile. Her favorite places to donate were:
• Austin Animal Center, 7201 Levander Loop, Bldg A, Austin TX 78702, 512-978-0500
• The Settlement Home for Children, 1600 Payton Gin Rd, Austin TX 78758, 512-836-2150
This obituary is about two years late in being written. Our apologies to friends and family for the craziness we went through at that time. Thank you for the kindnesses shown to us. This spunky, independent, creative, beautiful, sassy Mother and friend is sorely missed and loved forever.
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