Betty McMullen Hatcher, 90, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Thursday, January 26, 2017, at her residence.
Funeral services will be held 3 PM, Sunday, January 29, 2017, at Fellowship Baptist Church, in Fitzgerald, with the Rev. Robert Couey officiating. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:30 PM on Sunday in the sanctuary of Fellowship Baptist Church.
Mrs. Hatcher was born December 17, 1926, in Atlanta, Georgia, to the late Henry J. & Minnie Belle Tribble McMullen. She was graduated from Girls High in Atlanta where she rode her bike to school. She received her nursing degree from Emory University Hospital School of Nursing and was first licensed as a Registered Nurse on February 12, 1948. She has been continuously licensed ever since. She was a part of the Cadet Nurse Corps at Emory University during WWII. Mrs. Hatcher provided private duty nursing, as well as staff nursing for nursing homes and hospitals. She was the lead nurse for the Ben Hill County Health Department for 23 years, retiring in 1987. She helped with the Brownie Troops when her children and grandchildren were young. Mrs. Hatcher was a member of the Wiregrass Quilting Guild, Green Thumb Garden Club, recipient of the Pryor-Wilcox Friendship Award in 1988, and received the honor of Woman of the Year in 1977 by the Junior Woman’s Club. She was the oldest living cancer survivor at the local Relay dinner. She enjoyed reading, gardening and quilting. Through the years, she has made quilts for all of her grandchildren, and baby quilts for all of her great-grandchildren and church members that had children. While a member of First Baptist Church, Mrs. Hatcher taught the 2 year-old Sunday school class for many years. Her students will remember her huckleberry muffins on Sunday morning. She had a talent of growing and arranging flowers and shared that talent every Sunday with Fellowship Baptist Church, where she was a charter member.
She is survived by her children: Thomas E. (Linda) Hatcher, III of Fitzgerald, Katy (Bubba) Hopkins of Osierfield, Sue H. (Gary) Smith of Fitzgerald and Henry (Charlene) Hatcher of Fitzgerald; nine grandchildren: Erin Spinks (Chuck), Anna Barnes (Bert), Luke Hatcher (Jenny Gaillard), Donnie Hopkins (Rhonda), Amy Hopkins Spears (Charlie), Andy Smith (Maresa), Laurel Smith Gamage (Jason), John David Smith (Juli Ranstadler) and Ross Hatcher; 14 great-grandchildren and a sister, Patricia Abbey Noland of Austell. She is also survived by her faithful Dachshund, Duke. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Ewell Hatcher, Jr.
The family suggests those desiring to send memorials may send them to Fellowship Baptist Church, P.O. Box 777, Fitzgerald, GA 31750 or to the church of the donor’s choice.