Bettie Sue Towns Obituary (1935 - 2021)

BETTIE SUE BLACKWELL TOWNS, age 85, went to be with the Lord on March 8, 2021. She was born to Tom Blackwell and Sue Merle Davis Blackwell in Caldwell County, Texas on December 29, 1935. Bettie Sue graduated from Luling High School with the class of 1954. She married Jack Jones Towns in 1956 and together they had two sons, Keller and Kirk. She earned a B.A. degree from Southwest Texas State Univ. in 1958 and in 1971 earned a master's degree in education from Texas A&I University. Bettie Sue taught school as a P.E. teacher for almost three decades in Luling, Texas and Kingsville, Texas. She loved the outdoors and was an avid golfer, swimmer, and also enjoyed horseback riding, participating in numerous trail rides over the years with her husband Jack. Her passion for meeting new people and exploring the world led her to travel extensively throughout her life and, after retirement, Bettie Sue's zest for travel compelled her to start her own travel agency in Luling. She received numerous awards and recognitions for her decades of contributions to teaching and for her many volunteer efforts, which included American Heart Association Volunteer of the Year, American Heart Association Research Grant Award named in honor of Bettie Sue Towns, Jump Rope for Heart recognitions and volunteer with their Texas Task Force and later serving on the national board, American Cancer Society awards for outstanding service, Gene Karaffe award recipient for outstanding work with the disabled, and she was named Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Bettie Sue was Luling's very first Watermelon Thump Queen, crowned in 1954. She also was an Aqua-maid mermaid swimming at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos during high school and college. She was a member of First United Methodist Church Luling, joining as a teenager and later marrying her husband Jack there. She served in various ways at this church, including singing in the choir. Bettie Sue was a member of the Red Hat Society and also a volunteer in Luling at the Luling Oil Museum, Friends of Library, Caldwell Republican Women, and Luling Golf Associations. Bettie Sue was dedicated to sharing family heritage, which led to her volunteer work with Caldwell Genealogy. Bettie Sue's family land dates back more than five generations (1832) and is part of the land grant awarded her family for their service during the Civil War. Bettie Sue and her family spent much time on this property, which even has its own family cemetery that includes the resting place of a Texas Ranger. This land is now recognized as a Texas Historical land mark. Bettie Sue was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Towns of Luling, Texas. She is survived by her sister Kakai Blackwell Walker of Galveston, Texas and brother Tom E. Blackwell of Lockhart, Texas; sons Keller Towns and Kirk Towns of Houston, Texas; daughters-in-law JoLynn Towns and Kay Towns; grandchildren Ryan, Keller Jr., Jane Elizabeth, and Davis all of Houston, Texas; nephews Drew, Rory, Thomas, and nieces Brandi and Traci. A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 12, 2021 at 11:00am at First United Methodist Church Luling, located at 703 E Bowie St. Luling, TX 78648. In a future private service, her ashes will be spread alongside her husband Jack at the Belmont cemetery and also at her family's cemetery on their family land. Pastor Bill Knobles will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Lung Association (www.Lung.org) or the First United Methodist Church of Luling, Texas.