Betty Johns Hood passed away Friday April 25, 2025 in Collierville, Tenn., at the age of 81. Betty was born Aug. 3, 1943 to William and Ruth Johns in Dundee, Miss., and later as a young child moved with her parents and three siblings to Clarksdale.
She graduated from Clarksdale High School and moved to Memphis where she worked several years before returning to Clarksdale. She married Kenneth Brown Hood of Perthshire, Miss., on July 24, 1965. He was the love of her life, and they were married for 57 years before his passing.
Betty was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was very active and involved in her community.
She was a lifelong member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Clarksdale but attended Duncan Baptist Church all of her married life.
In her younger years, Betty enjoyed playing tennis. She was a wonderful cook and was known throughout the Delta for her beef tenderloin and homemade rolls. She also spent a great deal of time sewing. She had a lifelong sewing group, and she was a member of the “Tuesday Bridge Club” for several decades with some of her closest friends. She loved to spend time in her yard planting seasonal flowers. She also spent some years working at The Wishing Well, a women’s boutique, when it was in Shelby, Miss.
Much of Betty’s life was spent alongside Kenneth as a farmer’s wife. She was a member of the Bolivar County Cotton Wives and was very involved in the Grown and Made in the USA committee in the 1980’s. Betty received the Good Middling Award from Delta Council in 1999. This award recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the MS Delta region. She was a former member of several boards, including Lee Academy and the Governing Board of Delta Debutante Club.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth; her son Alan; her parents William and Ruth Johns; and her sister Carol Gilbert. Betty is survived by her daughter Lou Ann Petro (Andrew); and her three grandchildren; Meri Alan Petro, Drew Petro, and Ann Carter Petro, all of Collierville, Tenn. She is also survived by her two brothers Jim Johns (Bonnie) of Joiner, Ark., and Ronnie Johns of Mount Juliet, Tenn.
Visitation is Thursday May 1, 2025 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Clarksdale, with a funeral service at 11 a.m. The burial will follow at Shelby Cemetery in Shelby, Miss. Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale, is handling the arrangements.
The family would like to thank the many wonderful caregivers that have assisted her and have been like family to us. We will always be grateful.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Shelby Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 539, Shelby, MS 38774, or to a charity of your choice.
