Betty Jean Hall

Betty Jean Crawley Hall died peacefully on August 24, 2026. She passed and entered Heaven held in the arms of her children and grandchildren and had been surrounded by dear friends.

Born on April 17, 1937, Betty had been one of eight children born to Henry Claude and Mary Bert Crawley. Betty had two sisters, Claudine Kennedy and Hazel Martin, and four brothers, Bobbie, Bert, Buddy, Alton, and Ben. Betty spent a lifetime caring for her siblings, especially in their later years, and had been the last surviving child.

Betty leaves behind a family who owe the best parts of themselves to her compassion, kindness, and selflessness. She is survived by her devoted husband of sixty-six years, Emmett Hall, who never left her side. She was survived by two children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Betty had one son, Eric and his wife, Bonita, and one daughter, Abby and her husband, Rob Whitten. She had two granddaughters, Melissa Hall and her husband, Colby Hough, and Hannah Whitten and her husband, Joshua Robinson. She also had two grandsons, Ryan Hall and his wife, Adrea, and Leon Whitten and his wife, Rebecca. Betty had three great granddaughters: Jaylee Hough, Lyla Hall, and Mattie Hough. She also had three great grandsons: Maddox Hough, Reed Hall, and Oliver Robinson. Betty had a host of beloved nephews, nieces, and great nephews and nieces too. And all of them, from the children to the great grandchildren, cherished her.

Betty spent almost nine decades serving others. Even in her waning years, despite a long struggle with illness, she never stopped asking, “what can I do to help?” Born in Jonesboro, Louisiana, Betty lived there throughout her life helping her community.

At First Baptist Church, Betty led the Woman’s Missionary Union for more than fifty years and spread God’s love with countless acts of service. She had a particular passion for cooking and preparing meals for the elderly, sick, and sad. Betty had been a saint. But forever humble and unassuming, she would have never used that word to describe herself.

A complete caregiver, “Mrs. Hall” spent her working days teaching and loving Jonesboro’s youth. She taught American History, Civics, and English at Jonesboro Hodge High School. When she wasn’t teaching in the classroom, she was teaching at her kitchen table. “Grandmother” edited paper after paper, corrected mistake after mistake, and taught her family how to learn. (Grandmother, if you see this in Heaven, we’re sorry for any mistakes. You always were the best of us.)

In her free time, “Mommie” found joy in cooking, gardening, reading, and building puzzles. She often baked a carrot cake for her son and made bread pudding for her daughter. Betty did what others couldn’t, because when her family tried to re-create that cake for a birthday, it turned into a carrot crumble. She also had a special touch for gardening. Her roses seemed more vibrant, and she even had periwinkle that grew from the cracks of her driveway. Much of her family gardens today because she showed them how to find peace in what grows from the earth. When her hands were not pruning a bush, her family remembers them holding a library book or piecing together a puzzle. But more than anything, her family remembers those small hands holding their own, guiding them through life, and giving them all of their strength.

Services for Betty Jean Crawley Hall will be held in the chapel of First Baptist Church, Jonesboro, on Friday, August 28, 2026. Visitation will take place from 9:30 AM until 11:00 AM. The funeral service will begin immediately following visitation at 11:00 AM. Burial will take place at Gayla Traina Cemetery following the funeral service.

Serving as pallbearers will be Ryan Hall, Leon Whitten, Joshua Robinson, Colby Hough, Scott Martin, and Randy Layfield. Honorary pallbearers will be Maddox Hough, Reed Hall, and Oliver Robinson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the WMU of First Baptist Church, Jonesboro.