Wilson Little Funeral Home
Purcell-Newcastle, McClain Co., OK
(permission granted)

Betty Gardenhire, age 80 of Purcell, passed away Sunday, May 17, 2020.

Betty Florine Cope was born October 19, 1939 in Muddy Boggy, in Southeastern Oklahoma. She was the 4th of 8 children born to William Bruce Cope and Alice Florine (Cooksey) Cope. When Betty was yet a young girl, the Cope family moved to Moore where she attended school, and they later settled in Pauls Valley.

It was here that Betty met her soul mate, a young man from Pauls Valley named R.B. Gardenhire. They fell in love and were married on April 24, 1958 in Comanche, OK. They made their home in Moore for a time before moving to Colorado. But they yearned for home, and moved back to Oklahoma and purchased an acreage west of Purcell. Together they raised two children, daughter Lisa and son, James Paul.

Betty worked as a cook for the Dibble Senior Citizens for several years. Her greatest joy was being a wife and mother and she was never happier than when she became a grandmother. She was a woman of great faith and a longtime member of the Iron Chapel Free Will Baptist Church. Betty had the voice of an angel and she shared her gifts singing for the church. She was a wonderful wife and mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She will be dearly missed!

She was preceded in death by: Her parents, William and Alice Cope and Siblings, Bill Cope, Alma Jean Dorsey and Randy Cope.

Betty is survived by: Her husband, R.B. Gardenhire of the home; Daughter, Lisa Davis and husband Larry of Purcell and son, James Paul Gardenhire and wife Dawn of Slaughterville; Two sisters, Daisy Marquetta Thomas of Waco, TX and Jessie Wilson of Moore; Two brothers, Ronnie Cope of Del City and David Cope of New York; 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchilden; several nieces and nephews and a host of other family and friends.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for 11:00 A.M., Saturday, June 6, 2020 at Iron Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, Dibble, OK.

There is also a lunch at 12:00 P.M., also at the Church, for those that would like to attend after the service.