Betty K. Landrum, 81, of Griffin, Ga., passed away at her home following a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s.
The former Betty Foy King was born on November 15, 1930 in Gadsden, Ala. and reared in Rome, Ga. The daughter of prominent furniture merchants, Roy and Emma Jones Nichols, Betty attended local schools and received her teaching certificate from Shorter College. She taught elementary school in Rome, where she met her future husband, Bill Landrum, a Floyd County school assistant principal and basketball coach. Bill and Betty married in 1950 and moved to Griffin in 1955 where she taught school at Fourth Ward Elementary. Following the birth of their two children, David and Kaye, Betty remained active as a substitute teacher, coached little league baseball and was the waterfront director for Camp Cecil Jackson.
With a love of horses from childhood, Betty was instrumental in opening and operating Landrum Stables with her husband Bill and her father-in-law, the late Pop Joe Landrum. With an eye for quality horses and a love of the show ring, Betty kept her two children on horseback exhibiting walking horses at countless local, state and national events, where both excelled in the sport. Betty was active in the Georgia Walking Horse Exhibitors Association where she served as secretary-treasurer from 1969 –1970. As a life member of the association, she remained on the board for many years serving as parliamentarian and was recognized as the “go to” person on procedural matters. She was elected to the national board of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association and served from 1987 to 1993. Betty was active in many local civic and charitable organizations including membership in the First Baptist Church, ABCettes, Camellia Garden Club, Ladies Elks and Aidmore Auxiliary, Griffin Historical Society and the Jolly Dollies bridge club.
Betty is survived by her husband of 61 years, Bill Landrum; her son and his wife, David and Karla Landrum, Franklin, Tenn.; her daughter and her husband, Kaye and Bill Norris, Griffin, Ga; three grandchildren, Lindsey Landrum, Franklin, Tenn.; Will Norris, New York, New York and Liz Norris, Atlanta, Ga.; two nieces and their husbands Landra and Wayne Chasteen, Kelly and Mark Moody, Griffin, Georgia; friends and caregivers, Bernice Jones, Griffin, Ga., and Carolyn King, Concord, Ga., Charles Puckett and the late Hattie Whatley, Griffin, Ga. She is further survived by nieces, nephews and many friends. In addition to her parents, two sisters, Cleo Jackson, Helen Lewis, and one brother, J. H. King, all of Gadsden, Ala., preceded her in death.
Relatives and friends may visit the family at Haisten-McCullough Funeral Home, Monday, December 26, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. until service time. The graveside service will be held Monday, December 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at Westwood Gardens Cemetery. Dr. Bill Hardee will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the First Baptist Church Building Fund 106 West Taylor Street, Griffin, GA 30224.
To pay condolences online to the family, please do so at www.haistenmccullough.com.
Haisten McCullough Funeral Home, 1155 Everee Inn Rd. is in charge of arrangements.