Betty Fay Whitten

Betty Fay Whitten, age 88, of Monroe passed away surrounded by loved ones on October 3, 2021. Betty was born on January 7, 1933 in a shotgun house in Start, Louisiana. She graduated from Rayville High School and Bish Mathis Institute in Monroe. She worked in the business office at Louisiana Training Institute. Betty was preceded in death by her parents Leila Virginia Eppinette Whitten and Martin Luther Whitten, and her brother John Sidney Whitten. She is survived by her loving sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth Whitten Johnston and Charles “Deek” Johnston, Sr. who took care of her for the last eight years of her life. She is also survived by nieces and nephews: Johnette Whitten, Diana Litton, Johnny Whitten, Rusty Whitten, Troy Whitten, Claudio Whitten, Karen Hart, Bobby Hendrix Jr. and Marty Hendrix. She had lots of happy times with her family and her adored poodle “children”, Prince, Johnna, Tina, Susie, and Yvette. Betty was a member of First Monroe Baptist Church for more than 60 years. She taught Sunday School and was a member of the Ruth Sunday School Class. She had many friends there and at her workplace. She enjoyed cooking, especially for others, and was an avid cookbook collector. As a lifelong sports fan she went to many LSU football games, lots of ULM Ladies Basketball games and her favorite—St. Louis Cardinals baseball games. Since age 10, when she started listening to the games on the radio with her daddy, she followed the Cardinals. It was a joy to her to wear her Cardinal shirts, her Cardinal jacket and to drive around Monroe with her Cardinal flags flying from her car. Her favorite player was Adam Wainwright. Decorating for Christmas was so exciting for her and sometimes she left some of her decorations out all year. Over the years she mastered crocheting and attending yard and antique sales. Traveling was also one of her passions and she took yearly trips on which she kept notes and took pictures. She always tried to include a Cardinal baseball game on her vacations. In her later years it made her happy to watch baseball, football, basketball and The Price is Right on tv. She was much loved and will be missed by family and friends. The family would like to thank friend Laura Sledge for her many kindnesses and help, and also, Mary Beth Westmoreland, Crossroads Hospice and other friends in the area who assisted in her care. Per Betty’s request there will be no funeral service. Her body is laid to rest at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery, but she is in Heaven. Memorial donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund in Monroe, Louisiana.