fbpx
News Articles

Betty Jo Lewis dies at 64


CENTRALIA, Mo. (BP)–Betty Jo Lewis, wife of Larry Lewis, former president of the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, died Feb. 10 at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She was 64.

The Lewises had lived near Centralia, Mo., the past several years.

Betty Jo Lewis served alongside her husband when he led the mission board (now named the North American Mission Board) from 1987-96, during his presidency of Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Mo., from 1981-87, and when he was pastor of Tower Grove Baptist Church in St. Louis and in other pastorates and positions in Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Missouri from 1960-81.

“She was devoted to Larry and his ministry and their kids,” said Martin King, a former communications staff member at the board and now editor of the Illinois Baptist newsjournal. King also recalled that Betty Jo Lewis was a talented soloist who often sang during the board’s staff events.

When Lewis began his work at the Home Mission Board, Betty Jo called each missionary on his/her birthday over the course of a two-year period and she worked for a time in the board’s language missions division.

Jeanne Todd, campus nurse at Hannibal-LaGrange College from 1985-2000, recalled that Lewis, an HLG graduate, “had a warm, vibrant personality. Her smile, which often broke into a laugh, quickly put people at ease. She enjoyed interacting with everyone at HLG’s campus.”

Betty Jo Lewis, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, had made one recording, “I Believe in Miracles,” authored a book, “Hand in Hand,” and was active as a Bible teacher.

She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Janet Saidi of Columbia, Mo., and Christy Forte of Granada Hills, Calif.; a son, Mark of Albuquerque, N.M.; and three granddaughters.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at First Baptist Church in Centralia. Visitation will be at the Fenton Funeral Chapel in Centralia from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday and just prior to the funeral.

The family asks that memorials be made to the Betty Jo Cockerell Lewis Scholarship at Hannibal-LaGrange College, on the Web at www.hlg.edu.
–30–
Art Toalston is editor of Baptist Press.

    About the Author

  • Staff