Bertha Mae (Yancey) Billingsley, 87, of Violet Hill passed away Saturday, March 18, 2023, at White River Medical Center in Batesville, Arkansas.
She was born May 12, 1935, in Brockwell to Joseph Eldon Yancey and Epper Palma Dockins Yancey.
Bertha was a very family-oriented lady who loved the Lord and wanted her family to know Him. She was a very hard worker who worked many jobs over the years to help support her family. Bertha traveled with her family to work seasonal fruit in Washington State. Once back in Arkansas, she worked at Baxter Laboratories in Midway, followed by the Glove Factory in Calico Rock. One job that she really loved, though, was working at the cafeteria at Violet Hill School. She left there to work at Tri-County Shirt Factory in Melbourne/Salem where she worked until she retired to help her husband on the broiler farm for Townsend Poultry.
Some of her favorite things to do were reading, working word search puzzles and quilting, especially baby quilts. The thing she loved most, though, was taking care of her cows! She would get on her tractor, even in cold weather, and go feed them. In the summer, she would get on that tractor and go bush hog and when she wasn’t doing that she was mowing and taking care of her yard and flowers. She was able to do all this up to the age of 85 and she didn’t let anything or anybody get in the way of what she was determined to do.
Among her many talents, she was a wonderful cook. Her family’s favorite was her cocoa gravy and biscuits. Anyone who visited her was treated to a great meal and nobody left her house hungry.
Survivors include one son, Ron Billingsley (Patty) of Jonesboro; two daughters, Cindy Weaver (Tim) of Melbourne, Saundria Ash of Conway; one sister, Georgia Gaye Yancey Ramsey (Charley) of Kansas; eleven grandchildren, Jordan Ash (Holly), Nicholas Ash (Bailey), Diane Billingsley Gross (Brandon), Randall Billingsley, Ashley Howell-Fleming (Drew), Adam Jones, Amanda Billingsley Hall (Joey), Brooke Billingsley Proctor (Justin), Crista Billingsley Farmer (Josh), Paul Billingsley (Ashley), Cortney Billingsley Beers (Niles); seventeen great-grandchildren, Lydia Ash, Beckett Ash, Haley Weatherford, Chloe Weatherford, Ella Howell, Emma Jones, Haiden Howell, Daqni Hall Reynolds (Dylan), Greenly Hall, Ava Hall, Allison Farmer, Lillian Farmer, Emma Grace Billingsley, Wyatt Billingsley, William Beers, Tatum Beers, Josephine Mae Ash, as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Loyce Billingsley; two sons, Mark and Rick Billingsley, and one brother, Billy Joe Yancey.
Pallbearers are Jordan Ash, Paul Billingsley, Nicholas Ash, Adam Jones, Matt Ramsey, Steve Yancey, and Mike Puett. Honorary pallbearers are Doug Harbor, Justin Proctor, Drew Fleming, Brandon Gross, Joey Hall, Niles Beers, and Josh Farmer.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the Fairview Missionary Baptist Church at 2:00 pm with Dr. Terry Yancey and Dr. Randy Bailey officiating. Burial will follow at Violet Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1:00 pm until the service time.
