As a beloved child of God and lifelong follower of Jesus Christ, Bettye Schmeltekopf passed from this life and entered into the presence of her Lord on December 13, 2022.
Bettye was born on March 1, 1937, the younger of 2 daughters of James and Annie Belle Allen, at Ft. Clark, TX. Bettye lived the first few years of her life as an “army brat,” until her parents divorced when she was 6 years old. At that point, Bettye moved with her mother and sister back to Forney, TX.
Life in those days was hard for a divorced woman and her children; the family struggled in many ways for several years. They did have the support of extended family, and they were very involved in the life of the First Baptist Church in Forney. Bettye loved school and excelled in her studies and in the band; she initially played the flute and then was honored to be the majorette (female drum major) at Forney High School. She received a private scholarship to Howard Payne University as a majorette, and she was thrilled to go off to college.
It was at Howard Payne that Bettye met the love of her life, Robert (Bob) Schmeltekopf. They married on September 1, 1956. They were delighted to have three daughters, Kathy, Karen and Kela.
Bettye worked to put Bob through college and seminary in the early years of their marriage, then Bettye was able to complete her college education at Wayland Baptist College in Plainview, TX. She graduated with a BA in Education in May 1966.
Bettye started her teaching career in Costa Mesa, CA in the fall of 1966 where she taught Kindergarten for one year. She promised God that if he let her out of that kindergarten class alive, she would never go back in! 2 years later, she found her joy and calling in the teaching of English Language Arts and Business classes to junior high and high school students. Bettye taught creative writing in Ft. Stockton, TX, where her students dubbed her “the little red-headed drill sergeant;” she went on to teach in San Marcos, Kerrville, San Antonio and Harper, TX. She also taught Sunday School many of those years. Both as a public school and Sunday School teacher, Bettye impacted the lives of many students and their families.
Bettye is preceded in death by her mother, Annie Belle Allen; her father, James E. Allen; and her sister, JoAnn Gibson.
Bettye is survived by her husband of 66 years, Bob; daughters Kathy Jones and husband Mike, Karen Schmeltekopf and husband Neil Snipes, Kela Sumrall and husband Rick; grandchildren Jessica Jones, Cameron Jones and wife Heather, Holland Sumrall and Zachary Sumrall; great-grandchildren Beckett Jones and Jack Jones. She’s also survived by other loved ones and friends.
A Celebration of Life, followed by lunch, will be conducted at Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo, TX on December 21, 2022 at 11 a.m.
An Inurnment Service will be conducted at the Garden of Memories Mausoleum in Kerrville, TX on December 22, 2022 at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, Bettye’s family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or the Baptist University of the Americas (www.bua.edu), which provides Bachelor’s degrees for ministerial students primarily serving Spanish-speaking churches.
Celebration Of Life
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
11:00AM
Southland Baptist Church
4300 Meadow Creek Trl.
San Angelo, TX 76904
Graveside
Thursday, December 22, 2022
11:00AM
Garden of Memories
1517 TX-16
Kerrville, TX 78028
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