Betty Holland

Betty Holland, 86 of Midland, passed away on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 surrounded by her family. The family will receive guests from 3:00pm-5:00pm, Thursday, May 26, 2022 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at 2:00pm, Friday, May 27, 2022 at Wilshire Park Baptist Church. Graveside service will be held at 3:00pm, Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at Resthaven Memorial Park.

Betty was born on June 19, 1935 in Brownwood, Texas to Verna and Aubrey Allgood.  Betty’s childhood was spent around the shores of Lake Brownwood, yet she feared and hated water.  She played the bass drum for the Brownwood Lions Band and was so skinny, she constantly had bruises on her hip bones.  It was a running joke in the family… ‘hey, did you know I used to play the drum in the band?’.

She met Rex Holland at Coggin Park in Brownwood and they married June 4, 1952, just shy of 70 years ago.  They moved to Odessa, then Robert Lee, then landed in Midland in 1955.  Betty always worked jobs where she could take Gordon and Reesa to school and pick them up.  Working with kids enabled her to do that, so through the years she worked in the Emerson Elementary School cafeteria and was a crossing guard at Sam Houston and Rusk Elementary schools in the days where that was part of the police department, so she sported a uniform, badge, whistle and took the kids safety very seriously.  Later in life, she was a school bus monitor and then she and Rex both drove school buses for a total of 12 years.  There were some years in there where she moved to the older kids and worked in the Student Union of Midland College and was a big supporter of all Chaparral athletics.  Scattered in there were good times at the old Texan Drive-In, a Mary Kay assistant and devoted nanny to several children who were each so precious to her.  We never stopped hearing the stories and memories of the kids she loved as her own.

Betty and Rex were founding members of Wilshire Park Baptist Church over 60 years ago and Betty kept Sunday School records for the children’s department for many of those years. Her church and church family were very special to her and, fittingly, she was able to attend her last service on Mother’s Day.

Betty loved camping, humming birds, her Dallas Cowboys, and her grand-dogs (mostly Beagles) came in second only to her love of children, especially her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.

Betty is survived by her husband, Rex Holland of Midland; son, Gordon Holland (wife Jettie) of Claremore OK; daughter Reesa Fisher (husband Pat) of Midland; granddaughter, Crystal Stafford of The Woodlands TX, great-grandson Aaron; grandson Jason Holland (wife Jessica) of Cheyenne OK, great-grands Tavi, Ellie & Titus; grandson Zac Holland (wife Caroline) of Navarre FL, great-grands Zoey & Lily; and grandson Joshua Holland (wife Kristen) of Lindsay OK, great-grands Kai, Jude & Jett.

Betty is preceded in death by her father, Aubrey Allgood; mother, Verna Coley and brother, Charles Allgood.

Pallbearers will be Jason Holland, Zac Holland, Joshua Holland, Aaron Stafford, Steven Fisher, Jude Holland, Jett Holland and Titus Holland.

The family would like to express their gratitude towards Hospice of Midland for their tremendous help in 4 short days.  Any memorial donations can be made to Wilshire Park Baptist Church, 801 S. Bentwood, Midland TX 79703.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com.

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