Elizabeth Faulk Abney

Elizabeth Park Tuten Faulk Abney, born June 12, 1927 in Macon, Georgia, stepped through the gates of Heaven Thursday, morning at 9:25 a.m. surrounded by her loving husband and her children and their families, after suffering a heart attack that began silently on Saturday evening at her home. Funeral services and a victory celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday at Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Pio Nono Avenue with burial in Riverside Cemetery. Rev. David Sapp will officiate. The family will meet friends from 1 p.m. to service time on Saturday at the funeral home and may be contacted at the residence of Susan and Tom Burford.

Daughter of the late James Greene Tuten, Sr. and May Park Tuten, Elizabeth, or “Betty” as she was known to schoolmates, family and friends, grew up in Macon living her childhood days on Arlington Place with her late brother, James Greene Tuten, Jr. She graduated from A. L. Miller High School for Girls and received her certification as a Medical Technologist from the Macon Hospital, the same place her Mother had graduated Nurses’ School in 1920. She enjoyed many years of not only working in the medical community but teaching and training other technologists as well. When the Houston County Hospital was established, she set up the Lab and ran it as Dr. McEver’s right hand. Betty also sold real estate for a number of years in Macon and she retired in later years to care for her Aunt whom was stricken with cancer.

Betty’s real work began after her Aunt’s death as a prayer warrior and minister of the Gospel. She was a member of Vineville Baptist Church and choir for many years, active in the XYZ club and Grace Sunday School Class. Later she moved to High Point Church, always looking for opportunities to spread ‘the Word’ she took in unwed mothers into her home as an active advocate for Save-A-Life. She continued her calling working with Awakening Fires Tent Ministries and Redeeming Hope Ministries as well. Her current church home, Beth Yeshua International Messianic Jewish Fellowship and its members meant so much to her and her husband, Billy.

In 1950, Betty married Joe W. Faulk, Jr. of Twiggs County and during the twenty years of their marriage she was an active member of New Richland Baptist Church and together, they reared their five children there.

Betty would be celebrating her twelfth wedding anniversary to Billy Abney on May 30th. After learning that the Hebrew meaning for the number eight was ‘new beginnings,’ she was so looking forward to celebrating her eighty-eighth birthday on June 12th. She had said many times it would be “double new beginnings.” Her family is celebrating her ‘new beginning’ a little early with her arrival in her heavenly home.

Betty is survived by her husband, Rev. Billy John Abney; her children, Joseph Walters (Debbie) Faulk, III of Blythe, GA, May Elizabeth Faulk (John) Spearman of Kingstree, SC, James “Bimbo” White (Goldie) Faulk of Jeffersonville, Mary Susan Faulk (Tom) Burford of Macon, Norman Park (Kathy) Faulk of Jeffersonville and Judy Abney (Henry) Freeman of Moreland, SC, Bryant (Jan) Abney of Clemmons, NC, David Abney of West Columbia, SC and Ruth A. Culp of Macon; grandchildren, Joseph Walters (Sarah) Faulk, IV, Rebekah Anne Faulk, April E. Whitaker, MD, David Whitaker, James White (Anna Lee) Faulk, Jr., Samantha Lane Faulk, Holden Park Burford, Matthew Howell, Mark (Casey) Howell, Lucas Howell, Trey Burford, Joey Burford, Caroline S. (Joseph) Ferguson, Edward V. Spearman and ten great grandchildren.

Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express condolences.

Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Pio Nono has charge of arrangements.