Betty June Copeland

Send Flowers

Visitation Schedule
First Baptist Church
224 King Ave
Mountain View, AR  72560
Thursday, December 22, 2016
1:30 - 2:30PM
Service Schedule
First Baptist Church
224 King Ave
Mountain View, AR  72560
Thursday, December 22, 2016
2:30PM
Cemetery
Flatwoods Cemetery
Highway 14
Mountain View, AR  72560
Betty June Copeland

of Mountain View, AR

October 1, 1923 - December 18, 2016

Betty June Copeland, 93, of Mountain View died Sunday, December 18, 2016 in the loving care of the staff at The Highlands of Mountain View and Legacy Hospice. She was born October 1, 1923 in Picher, Oklahoma, to William and Margaret (Posey) Peace. Betty was a lifelong resident of Mountain View. Betty's father died when she was six, leaving her mother with two small girls and an unborn son. Betty's brother William Harold was born a month after their father's death. However, within the year her mother had met and married a young widower, Thurlow Looney, from Mountain View, AR. In early spring of 1930 Thurlow moved his new family to Mountain View, to reunite with his own three children. Betty would often relate the story of that journey, as she remembered arriving by train at the Sylamore station and the family catching a ride into town with the postman who was awaiting the arrival of the mail. They then walked with baggage and children west of town to Thurlow's home on Happy Hollow Rd. There were a few months of adjustment between the siblings but everyone eventually settled into a happy routine. All of the children attended school at the one room school house at Happy Hollow. In 1939 at the age of 16 with her parent's consent, Betty married Delbert Copeland. Together Betty and Delbert had two children and were very active in school programs. The children both graduated high school and moved away for college, employment, and marriage. To supplement the family income Betty worked at different jobs in town. Following Delbert's death in 1984, Betty bought and sold a couple properties before eventually moving into Mountain View and purchased a home at the junction of Hwy's 5 &14. Betty never had grandchildren of her own, but loved children. Her social security check was meager, so to help with the finances she babysat children for friends. She was living at this home when the tornado of 2008 hit her house. She hid from the storm on the hallway floor and watched the roof disappear from the house. Fortunately, she had hidden in the only survivable location in the home and exited with only minor scratches. The house was a total loss, and she decided not to rebuild. With the help of friends and family she moved into the senior housing facility in Mountain View. She was beset with dementia problems the last few years. Betty loved to sew, and quilt, loved gospel music, and sang in the church choir. She also loved to visit Branson with friends and with groups. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Mountain View.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a daughter, Shirley (Copeland) Pohanka, and son Connie Ray and step brothers, Edward, Otmar (Richard), and a step sister Ruby (Looney) Little.

Betty is survived by her sister Billie Ann (Peace) Regal of Chattanooga, TN., her brother William Harold Peace of Waynesboro, VA, and half brother James Looney of Paola, KS. and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at the First Baptist Church of Mountain View at 1:30 Thursday the 22nd of December 2016 followed by a memorial service at 2:30 with Brother Jason Ingram officiating. Burial will be at Flatwoods Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to The Highlands of Mountain View.

Sign Guestbook

2 Condolence(s)
Misty Dawn Clark
Jonesboro,
Liked
Monday, December 26, 2016

I remember being a little girl eating strawberries at her house in Mountain View.

Williams Family
,
Liked
Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Condolences to the Copeland family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to your whole family. Psalms 147:3 says God, "heals the broken hearted, and binds up their wounds." May God bring you comfort and peace.