- Date Of Birth: April 12, 1945
- Date Of Death: February 25, 2021
- State: Mississippi
Betty Rose Irby Lawrence of Canton, 75, died February 25, 2021, at St. Dominic’s Hospital after a brief illness due to complications from a stroke.
Mrs. Lawrence was the daughter of T.O. and Eloise (Weems) Irby. She was born in Morton, MS, and attended Morton public schools and Belhaven College. She was employed by several companies in various administrative capacities, including Madison County Equipment, Petroleum Marketers, and the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
Mrs. Lawrence is survived by her six children: Patsy “Kit” Hicks (Mike); Dewye “Dee” Lawrence, Jr.; Donna Lawrence; Jacqueline “Jackie” Sowell (Terry); Richard Lawrence; Regina Ferguson (Denman); together with fourteen grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Dewye Lawrence, Sr.
One of the last true Southern ladies, Betty always wore pearls and would not be seen in public unless her hair was done. The daughter of a farmer/truck driver, she was proud of her country roots and loved all things Mississippi, including cotton, magnolias, Elvis and Ole Miss. She was an avid reader, especially of Mississippi authors, such as William Faulkner, John Grisham, and her favorite, Willie Morris. At the tender age of nineteen, she went from being an only child, to marrying into a ready-made family with five children, including an infant.
