Betty Jean (DeLay) Newton, a longtime Yale resident, passed away on Friday, September 11, 2009 at her home in Yale at the age of 81. Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Tuesday at the First Baptist Church in Yale. Reverend Grant Wyse will officiate. Interment will follow at Lawson Cemetery, Yale. Arrangements are entrusted to Palmer Marler Funeral Home, Yale.
Betty Jean DeLay was born the daughter of Roy Vivian DeLay and Nellie Belle (Cobble) DeLay on March 1, 1928 in Yale. Betty was raised on the family farm southeast of Yale. She began her education in a one-room school house known as, Eagle School, and continued at Yale High School, graduating with the class of 1945. After graduation, Betty held various positions with employers including the Bank of Yale, City of Yale, and Mable Dale Hospital. Betty’s grandparents were charter member of the First Baptist Church of Yale and Betty left a proud legacy of having a six generation membership in the Church. She attended Oklahoma A & M for a short time when she met Donald Nathan Newton. They married on June 20, 1947 in Stillwater, Ok. They began their life together first in Oklahoma, then Texas, finally back to Oklahoma in 1966. While raising her family, Betty was active in many clubs and organizations including Eastern Star and Home Extension. . She wore multiple hats, doing what had to be done and in doing so coached softball and was a brownie leader. Betty loved to learn and keep active. She completed crossword puzzles – in ink – daily. Every member of her family and several “extended family members” have at least one, if not multiple, afghans of all shapes and sizes. When she wanted to relax, she could read a book in one day. She always enjoyed a good mystery.
Betty faced the challenges put before her with strength and courage. She was a respected matriarch of a large and active family, she made each one of us feel very special.
“Mema” as she was best known, was for all of us the safe haven, no matter what was occurring in our lives, she was always there for each and every one of us.
Survivors include two sons and their wives, Don Newton Jr. and Peggy of Glencoe, Oklahoma and Philip Newton and Debbie of Yale, Oklahoma; two daughters and their husbands, Susan (Newton) Lochary and Gary of Verden, Oklahoma and Sharon (Newton) Tate and Rod of Tulsa, Oklahoma; two brothers and their wives, Cliff DeLay and Barbara Love, and Gary DeLay and Shirley; a sister and her husband, Barbara (DeLay) Thornley and Johnny; a step daughter, Lisa Greenwood; Grandchildren and their spouses Lisa Lewis and Troy, Brian Newton and Laurie, Erin Taulman and Derrick, Elizabeth Kelley and Heath, Krissy Watkins and Brett, Rachael Gurley and Wes, Becky Lochary, Shelly Thompson and Matt, Holly Hannon and Billy, and Dani Lambrecht; great grandchildren Cody Lewis, Courtney Newton, Zachary Hammock, Justin Taulman, Mason Watkins, Cody and Kaitlyn Gurley, Aurora, Emily, and Olivia Thompson, and Paige Wells; step grandchildren, Bert and Reed Greenwood, Christie and Alex Nikoloff, Cathy Schneider, Ashley Tate, and Alan Tate step great grandchildren Wyatt, Lesli, and Waylon Schneider, Alexis Nikoloff
Betty is preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Don Newton, her parents Roy and Nellie DeLay, brothers Harold DeLay and Robert DeLay, and granddaughter, Angie Newton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church of Yale – Building Fund.
An online video tribute and guestbook are available at www.palmermarlerfh.com.
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