Rebecca Jane "Betty" Blankenship Whitlow, 94, of Elgood, WV, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2026 at her home in Elgood, WV surrounded by her loved ones. For many years, the family has gathered at her home every Sunday at 2:00 for dinner.  This Sunday, the family gathered around her and sang her home to Heaven, almost exactly at the time they would have been sitting down to enjoy her wonderful home cooking.

Betty was born on November 23, 1931 in Elgood to Charles Connie Blankenship and Mary Holdren  Blankenship. She grew up in Elgood and graduated from Athens High School in 1949. She later moved to Richmond, VA where she lived with a sister and worked as a bank teller. There she met her sweetheart Tony who was from Kellysville but had joined the Army and was stationed nearby. The two had grown up only a few miles from each other, but had never met. However, God had ordained their union and after their serendipitous meeting, the rest is history.

December 10, 1955, Betty and Tony were married, having few earthly goods but an abundance of love.  As the years went on, they had two children, Valerie and Curtis.  Betty's world revolved around caring for her family, often sacrificing personally so her children could have the things they needed. Although husband Tony had multiple public accomplishments, he would not have been able to reach those goals without Betty's support, sacrifice, and devotion at home. In later years, Betty and Tony were often seen walking the road near their home in Elgood to keep active and healthy. Betty was quite petite, and for every step Tony took, she took two.  In a way, this was a metaphor for her life. If there was something to be done, even if it required extra effort, she accomplished the task, never lagged behind, and never complained. She had determination and persistence and even when faced with the giant adversary of pancreatic cancer, she did not give up. Her grit and toughness were only exceeded by her love and generosity toward others.

Betty worked first as a teacher's aide and then as secretary for many years at Oakvale School. She was known for her sweet personality, love for the students, and dedication to her work.

Betty enjoyed being in nature, gardening, reading, doing puzzles of all kinds, singing, and being active. She attended both Lifeline and Kellysville Churches of God. She loved her Sunday School classes, and whether she was the student or the teacher (as she was at Kellysville for several years), without fail she attended faithfully and greatly enjoyed adding to her knowledge of God's word.

Her family and friends have many wonderful memories of her, but above all she will be remembered for her love of and caring for others.

Betty is survived by daughter Valerie and husband Gerald Terry of Elgood, son Curtis and wife Tonya Whitlow of Elgood; grandchildren Rebecca and husband Chris Bivens of Princeton, Cara and husband Zach Lambert of Cheesy Creek, Anna and husband Lee Hill of Elgood, and Noah Whitlow and fiancé Kayla Delp of Elgood; and great-grandchildren Elaina Bivens, Kash Delp, Granger Hill, Boone Lambert, and Oaklynn Whitlow.

Betty was the last surviving member of her family. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years Tony Whitlow; brothers Lewis Willard "Bill," William Curtis "Tom," Milburn Hoge "Joe," Robert Lee "Bob," and infant brother Charles Blankenship; sisters Dainese Belcher, Helen Felton, Zelma Dutton, Zora Hathcock, Mary "Blackie" Stephens, Janice "Rook" Blankenship, and Joyce Hill.

Visitation will be held on March 11, 2026, at Kellysville Church of God in Kellysville, WV, from 12:00 pm until the Celebration of Life service which begins at 1:00 pm. Interment to follow in Elgood Cemetery.  Pallbearers will be Gerald Terry, Noah Whitlow, Chris Bivens, Zach Lambert, Lee Hill, and Bruce Hill. Serving as an Honorary Pallbearer will be Danny Clemons.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, Kellysville Church of God, or Lifeline Church.

The family would like to thank her caregivers Charley Franklin, Tracy Surface, Pearl Akers, and Amedisys Hospice, particularly nurse Breanna Jones, for their support and care.

Online condolences may be shared with the family via www.memorialfd.com . The family is being served by Memorial Funeral Directory and Cremation Center on the Athens Road in Princeton.