Betty Aldridge

Betty Jean (Longacre) Aldridge was born near Binger, Oklahoma on April 18, 1928 to Robert (Bob) and Hazel (Huckabee) Longacre. She passed from this life on October 9, 2018 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, departing this earth for an eternal life in heaven, reuniting with many loved ones. While Betty’s body grew weaker, her spirit remained strong. Betty was a member of the Church of Christ at Little; earlier she had worshiped at the Church of Christ that met on Aldridge land in the Strother community. This congregation, along with others joined together to form the congregation at Little. Betty’s family shared in the hardships that befell many Oklahomans during the depression and “dust bowl” years and along with many others, the Longacre family moved to California seeking work. She recalled the trip being long and hard, and her mother and father putting “chicken wire” around the bed of the pickup truck to keep the kids from falling out. The family resided in the Rodeo, California area for awhile where Bob worked on the surrounding farms and Hazel worked for Douglas Aircraft helping produce planes for the war effort. It was during the Second World War, and Betty remembered the times the sirens sounded, and the town turned all the lights off. Whether these were practices for the much-feared air-raid or an overly anxious sky-watcher sounding a false alarm was never revealed. Betty also recalled working in the almond and peach orchards to help the family out. One of her fond memories is finding a dollar bill with “Hawaii” over-printed on the back, she kept that dollar for the rest of her life. Betty graduated from the eighth grade in California before the family moved back to Oklahoma, settling in the Northern Seminole County area. She attended Strother High School, graduating in 1947. While attending Strother, during her junior year she met the love of her life, Hubert Clifford Aldridge, and following graduation they were married on May 25, 1947, the day before her parents’ wedding anniversary. To this union was born Sandra (Sandy), Janice, Hubert R. (Rusty), and Vicki. Betty was a loving wife for Hubert and a loving mother to her children. Betty and Hubert were involved in their children’s activities while they were growing up and heavily involved in the Strother School community. Betty enjoyed maintaining her yard and tending her flowers where multiple colors of irises were plentiful and in the early spring dozens of jonquils could be found blooming. In fact, one year when the jonquils were especially beautiful, a photographer from the “Seminole Producer” passed by and paused to take a picture which was prominently featured in the paper the following day.  Among Betty’s other hobbies was making and collecting dolls and collecting glassware. Betty also enjoyed fishing and many of her and Hubert’s anniversaries were spent at the lake fishing accompanied by many family members. Betty and Hubert celebrated 26 years of wedded bliss until Hubert’s untimely passing in 1973. Betty leaves to cherish her memory, one daughter Sandra (Sandy) and her husband David (Dave) Bass of Seminole; one son Hubert R. (Rusty) and his wife Sheila Moss Aldridge of Seminole. Also surving her are her grandchildren; Raini (Kevin) Lewis of Mustang, Ok.; Betsy (Amy) Clay, Seminole, Ok; Davy McPherson, Tyler, Tx.; Lisa Marshall, Oklahoma City, Ok.; Derek (Lauranne) Moss, Sand Springs, Ok. and Mynista (Austin) Reynolds, Midwest City, Ok; sister and brother-in-law; Bobbie and John Seifried, Jr., Seminole; and a very special first cousin Johnnie Frank Maxwell, Shawnee, Ok; great-grandchildren Haley Lewis and Mandy Lewis, Mustang, Ok.; Jacee Wade, Shawnee, Ok.; Cassie Wade, Midwest City, Ok; Morgan Wade, Wewoka, Ok.;Courtney Marshall, Christopher Marshall and Devonte Marshall, Oklahoma City, Ok.; Auria Reynolds and Amaya Reynolds, Midwest City, Ok.; and numerous special nieces and nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her husband Hubert Aldridge, infant daughter Vicki Denise Aldridge, daughter and son-in-law Janice and Jim Cooper, daughter-in-law Ann Aldridge, parents Bob and Hazel Longacre, sister and brother-in-law Geneva and Leroy McNally, and her father-in-law and mother-in-law Arthur and Mamie Aldridge, brother-in-law Orval (Louise) Aldridge, and sister-in-law Norma (Tony) Ferraro. Betty’s memorial service will be at the Church of Christ at Little, Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 11:00 a.m., with a graveside service to follow at the Little Cemetery where she will be laid to rest next to her beloved Hubert. Her special nephew Buddy Aldridge will officiate, assisted by David Bass. Pall bearers are Kevin Lewis, John Seifried III, Mark Seifried, Stacy Cooper, Robert Cooper and Derek Moss.  Honorary pall bearers are John Seifried, Jr., Johnnie Frank Maxwell, Steve McNally, George Bentley, Brenny Aldridge and Dempsey Chesser. The family wished to give a special thank you to the girls at Colonial Estates Nursing Home, Heartland Hospice and to Dr. Adam Stephens. Funeral Information: October 13, 2018, 11:00 AM Church of Christ located at Hwy 99 North, Little, OK 74868